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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



When time has passed and season fled. 
Your hearts will feel like mine. 
And aye the song will maist delight. 
That minds ye o' lang syne." 



A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

AND 

ITS ASSOCIATIONS 



BY ,/ 
ANNA HOWELL CLARKSON % 



ILLUSTRATED 



$ 



NEW YORK 

PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF 
THE HISTORICAL DEPARTMENT OF IOWA 

i8qq 

I. 






38348 



Copyright, 1899, by 
ANNA HOWELL CLARKSON 



aOPtfcS R£C. 



.■399 I 



Press of J. J. Little & Co. 
Astor Place, New York 






% 

AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO 

/Big jfellow StuOents 

OF THE IOWA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY 



Prefatory 

In the days when writing was a solemn function, when the 
only admissible style was imposing and full of dignity, I never 
could have gained the courage to present my readers with this 
semi-social, semi-historical book. Nowadays one may be per- 
mitted to tell his story in a conversational way — in the simplest 
language — and I have availed myself of the privilege of the 
time. 

It is not that I have anything to relate which you, my 
friends and fellow-students, do not already know; •but the 
necessity for gathering together a little data, personal and 
otherwise, concerning those of whom I write, seemed impressed 
upon me. When I began the work, all of the presidents of 
the College were living, with one exception. In the short two 
years intervening, three of them have passed away. I have 
letters from each of them. The importance of time is shown 
in this instance, as it has been in many others. 

In writing of Mrs. Stoddard I have refrained from encroach- 
ing upon her family life as much as possible ; and I have resisted 
the temptation to use private letters which would have added 
much in interest. My original idea was to preserve, in a small 
pamphlet, the main points of her life. In conference with her, 
a more extended plan was decided upon. My debt to the 
friends of my youth herein mentioned is so large that I gladly 
set about gathering material for the sketches ; imperfect and 
incomplete as the result may be, my intentions have been lov- 
ing and sincere. If they prove lacking in interest the fault is 
mine, for my subjects have been worthy of a more graceful 
pen. 

Mrs. Stoddard, like the mother of the great Wesley, is one 
of the women who " underwent " and " overcame." The fire 



viii PREFA TOR Y 

of her life has been kindled by energy and devotion. I realize 
how far short I have fallen in writing of her, but the letters of 
the old friends and students are so full of savor and apprecia- 
tion, that they will avail and succeed where I have failed. I 
am somewhat reassured by this, for they have been a great 
delight to me. 

You will not wonder that these pages are full of reminiscent 
thought. Few people live in the present. We dream and 
dote on the past with the enchantment lent by distance. We 
hope and plan for the future, and rarely think of to-day, which 
is the link that carries us from the yesterday that was, to the 
morrow which is to be. We seem not to be able to look the 
sun straight in the face ; we see our future gilded by his rising 
beams ; we view our past in his fading glow and the light of 
memory. 

Yes, this book is a song of the past, and not a sermon for 
the future. It is a love-token, pure and simple. Out of the 
fulness of my heart have the lines been written, with the hope 
that they may serve to recall all that was pleasant in our 
school-days, and reinforce our faith in the College itself. 

I might have told more of the quaint little city where our 
College is located, and how it came to be founded; but the 
fine monograph by Cyrenus Cole, has told this tale so beauti- 
fully and so faithfully that I refer you to its pages. I have 
steered clear of everything traditional and legendary, and spoken 
only of what I know. To those who have furnished me with 
data, and assisted me in collecting photographs for reproduc- 
tion, I wish to express my gratitude. To Mr. Herman Bous- 
quet. Professor Fred Morgan, Mrs. Russell Sage, Mrs. Marvin 
Lord, Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Dr. Albert Shaw, I 
owe thanks for favors shown. I have been fortunate in secur- 
ing many letters and pictures, but the number is not complete. 
It is a matter of regret to me that I have been unable to reach 
several of my best-loved friends. I give the result of my work 
into your hands, trusting you may find entertainment and 
pleasure in its pages. 



List of Illustrations 



Directions for Identifying Pictures. — Beginning- at the top of the page, read from left 
to right. Each page of plates is numbered according to the appended list. 



1. Dr. Amos N. Currier. 

2. Prof. J. B. Cotton. 



GROUP ONE 



3. Prof. Carlton C. Cory. 

4. Prof. S. S. Howell. 



GROUP TWO 



1. Capt. Albert Hobbs. 

2. Capt. John Ruckman. 

3. Joseph Ruckman. 

4. E. B. Ruckman. 

5. William A. Stuart. 



1. Warren Olney. 

2. Henry Bousquet. 

3. Peter Bousquet. 

4. John Bousquet. 

5. Herman Bousquet. 



1. Judson Ritner. 

2. Isaac Ritner. 

3. Milton Kelsey. 

4. Andrew Craven. 

5. J. A. P. Hampson. 



6. Barbara J. Stuart. 

7. Alonzo Keables. 

8. Andrew F. Sperry. 

9. Homer Jewett. 



GROUP THREE 



6. Col. David Ryan. 

7. Robert Ryan. 

8. Thomas Ryan. 

9. Capt. John Morgan. 



GROUP FOUR 

6. Capt. E. G. Barker. 



1. Mary Craven Olney. 

2. Mary Fisher Curtis. 

3. Sylvia Sperry Eberhardt. 

4. Francis Barker Cutler. 

5. Mary Davenport Donley. 



7. John Harvey. 

8. Joel W. Deweese. 

9. Rev. Samuel Streng 



GROUP FIVE 

6. Edith J. Stallard. 



7. Sallie DeCou Kelsey. 

8. Carrie Matthews Stamper. 

9. Susan Ritner Craven. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



1. Henry Morgan. 

2. Henry Whitney. 

3. Cornelius Hospers. 

4. Capt. Newell B. Dana. 

5. Henry D. Aikens. 



GROUP SIX 



6. Henry G. Curtis. 

7. Emery F. Sperry. 

8. Jesse Curtis. 

g. John Stubenrach. 



GROUP SEVEN 



1. Aristene Wells. 

2. Sarah Sumner Shoup. 

3. Mattie Payton Mayfield. 

4. Eliza Tupper Wilkes. 

5. Belle Baker Piatt. 



6. Louise B. Morgan. 

7. Anna Howell Clarkson. 

8. Annis Rudd Dana. 

9. Lida Weber Aikins. 



GROUP EIGHT 

COLLEGE PRESIDENTS 



1. Rev. Elihu B. Gunn. 

2. Rev. Emanuel H. Scarff. 

3. Rev. Louis A. Dunn. 

4. Rev. George W. Gardner. 

5. Prof. R. H. Tripp. 



6. Dr. Daniel Read. 

7. Prof. L. J. Axtell. 

8. Dr. John Stuart. 

9. Rev. Arthur B. Chaffee. 



GROUP NINE 



1. Kate Reynolds Bousquet. 

2. Anna Cotton Thing. 

3. Mary Rudd Post. 

4. Mollie Sweeney Briggs. 

5. Sarah Towne McKeever. 



6. Sallie Towne Liter. 

7. Lois Martin. 

8. Ida Baker. 

9. Libbie Smith. 



1. Johanna Roelofsz. 

2. Tedee Morgan Earle. 

3. Mandelia Harsin. 

4. Maggie Keane. 

5. Margaret Liter Crandall. 



GROUP TEN 



6. Margaret Doolittle. 

7. Eleanor Stallard Dailey. 

8. Belle Scarf¥ Neff. 

9. Rebecca Kelsey. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



1. Dr. Will L. Allen. 

2. Samuel Cole. 

3. Jacob H. Cole. 

4. Charles N. Cole. 

5. Cyrenus Cole. 



GROUP ELEVEN 



6. Albert Loughridge. 

7. Ellen E. Mitchell. 

8. Miss M. C. Manning. 

9. Amy Harris. 



GROUP TWELVE 



1. Hilda Johnson. 

2. A. L. Bain. 

3. Mrs. A. L. Bain. 

4. Elizabeth Hamilton. 

5. Cornelia Vander Linden. 



6. Lillian Vierson. 

7. Minnie J. Edmand. 

8. Maud Rees Scarff. 

9. May Edmand. 



1. Margaret Hamilton. 

2. Flora E. Harris. 

3. Stella Kellenberger. 

4. Magdalene Baker. 

5. Lou Donley. 



GROUP THIRTEEN 



6. Mary Firth. 

7. Anna Van Pilsum. 

8. Ida Aikins. 

9. Martha S. Ruckman. 



GROUP FOURTEEN 



1. Nora Cully. 

2. Eleanor Aikins. 

3. Margaret Aikins. 

4. Maud Donnell. 

5. Mary Howell Stuart. 



6. H. J. Shutts. 

7. George Martin. 

8. P. H. McDowell. 

9. Roy Donnell. 



GROUP FIFTEEN 



1. J. G. Ditmar. 

2. Dwight C. Townsend. 

3. William H. Scari¥. 

4. Frank A. Dupar. 

5. Hiram Talbot. 



6. Ira M. Earle. 

7. D. A. Palmerston. 

8. Col. Larkin M. Martin. 

9. Frank M. Neff. 



xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

GROUP SIXTEEN 

1. Prof. Charles Aikins, 6. A. B. Van Zante. 

2. Marcus A. Haines. 7- Herman Reitveld. 

3. Tennis Veenschoten. 8. E. C. Miller. 

4. Joseph Jarnigan. 9- Murray Cox, Jr. 

5. George A. Hertzog. 

GROUP SEVENTEEN 

PROFESSORS AND INSTRUCTORS 

1. Dr. John D. Burr. 6. Prof. Frederick Morgan. 

2. Dr. E. C. Spinney. 7- Sarah M. Stuart. 

3. Prof. Kate Keables. 8. Martha Firth. 

4. Prof. C. L. Custer. 9. Carrie Bousquet. 

5. Prof. John Nollen. 

EIGHTEEN 

ANNA HOWELL CLARKSON. 

GROUP NINETEEN 

COLLEGE MOTHERS 

1. Mrs. Henry Keables. 3- Mrs. E. H. Scarflf. 

2. Mrs. Louis A. Dunn. 4- Mrs. John G. Howell. 

GROUP TWENTY 

FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE 

1. Mr. John Nollen. 6. Hon. Calvin Craven. 

2. Dr. Frank Keables. 7- Mr. Henry A. Ritner. 

3. Dr. John G. Howell. 8. Mr. Sipka Vierson. 

4. Dr. Stoddard. 9- Mr. E. D. Morgan. 

5. Hon. Joseph K. Hornish. 

GROUP TWENTY-ONE 

1. Charles W. Scarfif. 6. Ella Keables Cox. 

2. Hilary Kellenberger. 7- Rhoda Craven Howell. 

3. George Anson Jewett. 8. Rebecca Towne. 

4. Josephine Elliott Kellenberger. 9. Matilda Towne Shull. 

5. Rebecca Ryan. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
TWENTY-TWO 

PICTURE OF COLLEGE. 

GROUP TWENTY-THREE 

MRS. STODDARD AND HER CHILDREN IN THE " SIXTIES ' 

1. Ira Joy Stoddard. 3. Mrs. Stoddard. 

2. Ella Stoddard. 4. Bertha Stoddard. 

TWENTY-FOUR 

STODDARD BUNGALOW, NOWGONG, ASSAM. 

TWENTY-FIVE 

MEMORIAL TABLET. 

TWENTY-SIX 

MRS. STODDARD. 



GROUP TWENTY-SEVEN 

1. Emma Josephine Bousquet. 6. John Vandersteeg. 

2. Hannah Nollen. 7- Edward O. Towne. 

3. Marie Bousquet. 8. Carleton E. Douglass. 

4. Francis Ketman. 9- George W. Howell. 

5. Lulu Scarff. 



A Beautiful Life and its 
Associations 

CHAPTER I 

MRS. DRUSILLA ALLEN STODDARD % 

"She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire 
are not to be compared unto her." 

When we read of the women of days gone by, whose fame 
has come down to us through centuries, we find ourselves com- 
paring them with those of our own time, and wondering if, after 
all, they differed so materially in virtues and achievements. At 
distant range we see through glasses, colored by rosy romance or 
warped by unwarranted prejudice, the pictured lives of a long 
line of famous women. It is difficult to know just how much 
is truth, and what per cent, fiction ; for all narratives are tinged 
with the color of individual preference or prejudice. We draw 
our conclusions from our desires, and it is unusual to find a 
mind so fair and judicial that an exact reproduction of a char- 
acter, with all its phases, is placed in review, where it must 
endure the scrutiny of all time. Beginning with Mother Eve, 
we feel that there is the possibility of misrepresentation, that 
her motives may have been misconstrued, that her desire was 
certainly to share the delights of the forbidden " apple " with 
Adam, from whose side she was taken, and that she had no 
intention of drawing him into trouble because of feeling her sin 



2 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

too heavy to bear alone. No historian was by to preserve the 
exact spirit of the unlucky contretemps ; and the theologians 
and experts leave us largely to draw our own conclusions. 

It is not at all certain that our views of many of the gifted 
of our sex are fair; their names have come before the public 
lighted, perchance, by envy, malice, and false accusation. 

But I do feel sure when good is said of a woman, when 
biographers have vied with each other in telling of her graces, 
there is sure to be some truth in their statements. 

The human tendency is not to praise, even where merit is 
brilliantly apparent. It is much easier to find fault and 
blame, and bring to the public eye flaws that are microscopic. 
With all the risks that are to be run, in sending the true 
analysis of a life down through countless ages, we cannot but 
see that merit, developed and rounded ; natural ability, nourished 
and strengthened ; ambition and high-mindedness, persevered 
in and quickened, stand by far the best chances of meeting 
with recognition. It is an encouragement that a determina- 
tion to live up to the fullest of our opportunities, and to block 
out our steps in unhewn quarries, is usually in some measure 
recognized. An effort in the right direction is never lost. 
And whether or not it meets with the chronicler's pen, or is 
preserved as a matter of pride by loving friends, it goes to 
brighten and strengthen the wide fabric which is woven day 
by day, with warp and woof spun by the hands which are 
reaching out toward a wider and a richer experience. 

A few years of worthy impulse, noble purpose, and strength 
of character leave upon the world an impress which always 
remains. A long life, rich in good works, strong in achieve- 
ments, and powerful in influence, deepens and widens the 
impressions, until they become great channels, flowing with 
fragrant waters, which strengthen and refresh as they pass by. 

Prefacing what I may say later with these few thoughts, I 
come to the subject of this little sketch. With loving words 
I want to tell you of the life that is the fullest and most useful 
I have ever known, from all points of excellence; in its philos- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 3 

ophy and piety it is a model of beauty and power. I am talk- 
ing to friends and schoolmates, who are the children and 
outgrowth of the broad faith and the beneficent teachings of 
one of the grandest and most interesting of women. Did I 
not feel that my audience is in entire sympathy, I would not 
have the temerity to place before it a resume of a life so full 
of interest. I speak of one who has, by long years of telling 
work, made an impression upon a community which has been 
enriched by her presence and pervading influence; one who 
threw all selfishness aside, gave up all cherished plans and 
schemes of her own, made herself one of the people of her 
choosing, and dwelt among them, a blessing, a guide, and a 
never-failing source of strength to a multitude of young 
students, whose welfare was the motive thought of herjife. 

It will be of interest to learn by what rules so noble a 
woman was modelled, by what precepts she was trained, and 
in what school of fortune she was reared. When we find a 
beautiful flower, we look to the richness of the loam which 
nourished it, to learn just what elements it required to form 
such creamy petals and such glossy foliage. If we hear the 
trill of an unknown bird, we cannot rest until we know what 
zone first sheltered the Httle warbler. If we meet with the 
grandest thing of all, a rounded and ripened character, an 
almost perfect man or woman, how quickly we ask of the 
childhood, the associations, the training and environment that 
brought a result so satisfying. We look for sturdiness of char- 
acter in thorough-going, wisely governed homes ; for warriors, 
where privation has made stoics of the race ; for bravery on the 
frontiers; for lovers and troubadours, where the Mediterra- 
nean laps the warm sands along the Riviera; for prime donne 
in the same mild clime which knows not influenza or coryza; 
and for thinkers along the Rhine, where time is given to 
thought. Every country, every nationality, sends out its true 
sons and daughters stamped with the "hall-mark" of their 
own land so ineffaceably, that neither time nor travel can dim 
its distinctness. 



4 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Every home stamps all the members of its household in the 
same way. If you study the children well you may learn 
something of the grandsire; for we stamp with our faults and 
graces, our children even to the third and fourth generations. 

By closing our eyes we can almost see the long line of true- 
blue, staunch ancestry which came before the noble woman 
who is so dear to us all. We find, in reviewing her early life 
and surroundings, just what we expected to find. 

Mrs. Stoddard (Drusilla Allen) came as a blessing into the 
Allen home on June i8, 1821. Isaac Allen, her father, was 
married to Lydia Bartlett, her mother, in Danby, Vermont, 
in 18 1 5. The Aliens were English, and were in America two 
or three generations before the Revolution. They were 
patriots, and fought well for their adopted country. 

Mrs. Stoddard's grandmother was a Harper. Her father 
was one of seven brothers^ll of whom served in the Revolu- 
tionary War. The aSUSt^ were Scotch- Irish, descended from 
the Scotch who settled in Ireland before the siege of London- 
derry, 1689. They were Presbyterians in faith. Her grand- 
father Allen served in the Vermont Legislature soon after the 
State was admitted to the Union. The Bartletts, also Eng- 
lish, were Quakers, and did not take part in the war. 

Mrs. Stoddard was born into the Quaker Church, a member 
by " birthright," as they called it. Her father became one 
through " convincement." 

Mr. an'd Mrs. Allen, soon after their marriage, turned their 
eyes to the " Holland Purchase " in western New York, as a 
desirable place for a home. In those days that was called 
" out West." They settled in Genesee County; Batavia was 
their nearest purchasing point. Mr. Allen was twenty-two 
years old, and his wife was twenty — a young couple to live 
alone in a wilderness beset with Indians and entirely unsettled 
and wild. Here these plucky young people started their 
home, harrowed their fields, and sowed about their door-yard 
the seeds of flowers from their old home. Orchards were 
planted, and soon New England thrift began to tell in the 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 5 

uncultivated country. Mr. Allen was very successful at rais- 
ing fruit, and on presenting samples of his skill to his neigh- 
bors would always say: " Now be sure thee plants the 
stones." (A lesson in a sentence.) 

Through carefulness and energy the home soon grew to be 
a place of comfort. The spinning-wheel hummed, the fire 
blazed, and generous living became possible. The friend and 
stranger found a welcome at this hospitable hearth, which was 
large enough to accommodate all who came. When we are 
told that it fronted a fireplace which took in a " back-log" 
eight feet long, and nobody knows how many other logs, we 
sigh for a good book and a low chair, and unlimited time to 
spend in that chimney-corner. The thought of such a great 
roaring fire, with its dancing flames and restless sparks, cheer- 
ing body and soul, makes us turn from the steam-pip'^s and 
patent heaters with a shiver. Give us the open fire, even if 
one's back is always cold, and though every rug in the house 
is burnt into holes. 

Mr. Allen was a man of piety and a member of the Quaker 
Church, but very charitable toward other beliefs and creeds. 
He used to say, " He can't be wrong whose life is in the 
right." Honest and upright, he was the adviser and coun- 
sellor of his neighborhood. Far-sighted and clear in judg- 
ment, his word was law. He constantly advanced in knowl- 
edge, keeping up with the progress of the world. When the 
little Drusilla was too young to be at school, but not too 
small to help her mother gather up the dishes after the meals, 
a school was established near their home. Her share of the 
daily routine did not please her little ladyship, for she wanted 
to be off with her brother and sister. One day her mother 
heard her muttering something. Upon listening, she heard 
the following little couplet : 

" Mary and Daniel can go to school, 
While I stay home to be a fool." 

This infantile expression of dissatisfaction sounded so badly 



6 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

in a Quaker household, that the next day her father carried 
her on his shoulders to the schoolhouse. Thus her educa- 
tion had its beginning. Mrs. Stoddard often refers to those 
delightful days, when, in her father's arms going through the 
woods, she began to see the outside life. She says: " As we 
thee'd and thou'd by the way, the lessons I learned under my 
father's tuition were, I have no doubt, as profitable as those 
in school, which extended from ' A B C ' to ' Crucifix ' in 
Webster's old spelling-book. 

Mrs. Stoddard's mother was a tiny woman, but full of cour- 
age and reserve strength. At one time, when she sent her 
little son on an errand to a neighbor's house, a mile away by 
the blazed path through the woods, a terrible storm came on. 
Large trees were uprooted, and a terrific wind swept the for- 
est. After the whirlwind had subsided, she watched in vain 
for the little chap's return. Night was falling, and her heart 
was bursting with fear lest he had been torn to pieces in the 
storm, or lost in the forest and become the prey of wolves 
and panthers. The father was away from home. The man 
employed on the farm said it would be impossible to thread 
the woods after such a terrific storm, as the way would be 
blocked. But mother-love could no longer endure the sus- 
pense; so leaving the other children in charge of the man, and 
taking her lantern, she set out on her perilous journey. This 
lantern was no " argand burner," but a perforated tin " lant- 
horne," as it was then called, which contained a " tallow- 
dip," the flame of which was liable to be blown out by the 
first whirl of wind, and this was before the day of lucifer 
matches. Over fallen trees, through brambles and bushes, 
this heroic little woman picked her way, calling as she went, 
" Daniel, Daniel," but eliciting no reply. Coming at last to 
the open field, she found the neighbor's house, and, to her great 
joy, little Daniel. This was just half the trip. Relieved of 
this anxiety, her heart turned to the children at home. Back 
she went, and midnight found her quieting her hungry baby, 
who knew nothing of what a plucky mother he had. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 7 

Those were days which tried the courage of both men and 
women. It was no unusual thing for an Indian to open the 
door, thrust his head through the opening, and give his char- 
acteristic "Ugh!" That was a little startling, but it was 
only one of the trying things that tested the courage and 
nerve of the pioneers in this new country. 

The Aliens managed, in those early days when means of 
obtaining information were scarce, to keep pace with the 
doings of the world. Their large intelligence rejoiced in all 
the vast improvements going forward in all countries. They 
felt that the world was growing better and richer each year, 
and did not, in their day, suffer from that pessimism born of 
overfed minds and bodies. They were well-informed, advanced 
thinkers, and a power in their community. 

In politics Mr. Allen was a Republican. When he %vent to 
the polls for the last time, he cast his vote with representa- 
tives of four generations of his own family, all voting the 
straight Republican ticket. 

Mrs. Stoddard, in writing of her father and mother, says: 
" Rejoicing in all that brought peace and good-will to man- 
kind, my parents went down the hill of life and finished their 
course in 1879, ^^<^ were buried from the home in which they 
had lived so happily for sixty-four years. My mother was 
eighty-four years of age, my father eighty-six. May those 
who remain emulate their virtues and cherish their memory." 

Growing to womanhood in the strong, bracing air of this 
pure and intellectual atmosphere, it is not strange that we 
have before us a young girl full of the grace of maidenhood, 
with a mind fully equipped and ready for a large future. 

At fifteen, we find her starting off to a Quaker boarding- 
school, full of life and health, with her splendid eyes — which 
have ever been filled with the essence of enlightenment and 
civilization— sparkling with delight at the prospect of going 
where all her time could be spent in study. Truth compels 
me to say that this spirited girl loathed the routine of prepar- 
ing meals and mending the " weekly wash." When she was 



8 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

needed for these tasks she and her books were usually very- 
hard to find. 

At the school she came under the care of an instructress of 
fine ability, who had a strong influence over her life and did 
much toward forming her character. 

At the age of seventeen Miss Allen began teaching in 
another Quaker school, as an assistant to one of her former 
teachers, who was a woman of culture, and led the budding 
mind of the young girl into paths of literature and science. 
They became very close in friendship, and for twenty-five 
years held their intimacy, until the elder friend passed from 
the scenes of earth. 

After several years of teaching Miss Allen entered the 
famous school of Mrs. Emma Willard, in Troy, New York, and 
completed her course of study there in 1845. After her gradu- 
ation at Troy she taught in the mission school established by 
the Quakers among the Seneca Indians. Among her pupils 
were the children of " Two Guns," " Silver Heels," " Big 
Kettle," and of others with equally high-sounding and " aris- 
tocratic " names. These Indians had lived many years on the 
"Cattaraugus Reservation," and were quite civilized; but 
they still clung to their blankets, and all of the members of 
one family ate their food out of a large kettle. There were 
some Christians among them, but they held to the pagan cere- 
mony of sacrificing a white dog upon occasion. 

In 1847 Miss Allen was married to the Rev. Ira Joy Stod- 
dard, and they sailed away to India on their wedding journey, 
bravely starting out on their new life to carry the blessed 
Gospel to the benighted souls across the seas. An account of 
their interesting and useful life there would alone fill a large 
volume. I can mention only briefly some of the most impor- 
tant events connected with the missionary work of these 
ardent young zealots who went forth at the call of the 
Master. 

It took Mr. and Mrs. Stoddard four long months to make 
the trip from New York to Calcutta. One hundred and 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 9 

twenty days they were out of sight of land, in a tubby old 
ship, ballasted with New England rock, which was unloaded, 
upon landing, for use at the delta of the Ganges and Brahma- 
putra rivers. Their diet consisted entirely of salt provisions, 
with sea-biscuits and hardtack. Mrs. Stoddard was ill with 
sea-sickness for six weeks. After her recovery her fine health 
asserted itself, and she enjoyed the sea, the air, the food, and 
everything connected with the trip to the fullest, and landed 
with rosy cheeks and buoyant spirits, ready for the life of trial 
and sacrifice before her. 

There were several other missionaries on the ship, all bound 
for India. During the voyage they encountered many storms 
in the north Atlantic, and a fearful one in the Indian Ocean. 
It was with great rejoicing that they finally saw the low-lying 
shores of the Hoogly River, the treacherous stream u^ which 
they must be piloted to Calcutta, adding one hundred long, 
weary miles to their journey. When they reached Calcutta, 
the monthly steamer, which was to carry them to Gowhatty, 
had sailed the day before. The hot season was at hand and 
cholera was raging; but there was no help for it, there they 
were obliged to tarry one month. 

Any one knowing Mrs. Stoddard could tell precisely how she 
spent those days of waiting. Every library, museum, garden, 
and spot of interest became her haunt. The government 
mission schools came in for a share of her time. She was 
especially interested in the one established by the Free Church 
of Scotland, managed by that prince of missionaries, Dr. Duff. 
In this school she found a thousand boys studying every- 
thing, from the alphabet to the work of senior classes. The 
"Museum of the Asiatic Society" was Mrs. Stoddard's 
delight. They visited Serampore, sixteen miles from Cal- 
cutta, where missionaries had planted their standard before 
the East India Company allowed them in their territory. 
They were protected in this small possession, which was 
owned by the Danes. Mrs. Stoddard tells of the beauties of 
Carey's Garden at Serampore; of their being entertained by 



lo A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

John C. Marshman, the son of the missionary, and of meeting 
the distinguished men connected with the college. 

At the end of that month of waiting, Mr. and Mrs. Stod- 
dard set sail on the great Brahmaputra. The river was swollen 
with the heavy rainfall, and navigation was difficult. After a 
two weeks' voyage they landed at Gowhatty, then the seat of 
the English Government. Here they were transferred to 
canoes, with all their luggage, for another trip of ten days up a 
smaller river, to their destination, Nowgong. This place they 
reached just seven months after leaving Buffalo, New York. 
This shows the fastest rate of travel in the " forties," barring 
the delay at Calcutta. 

As soon as the young couple were settled in their home, they 
began the study of the Assamese language. This tongue they 
acquired quickly. Mrs. Stoddard was very fluent in her use 
of it; the " mem sahib " received many compliments from the 
natives on this accomplishment. 

The resident missionary at Nowgong was about to leave for 
America, so Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard at once took charge of the 
orphan school. The nine years they spent in India were full 
of work. Dr. Stoddard preached and taught ; Mrs. Stoddard 
had charge of the girls, their studies, work, food, clothing, 
medicinal treatment, and care of the ailing. I once asked 
Mrs. Stoddard how she learned to heal the sick. She replied: 
" When one is at the end of the earth, and obliged to do a 
thing, the way is, to do it." Necessity, as well as being the 
mother of invention, is the mistress of all secrets and 
trades. 

Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard were fortunate in falling in with 
cultivated English people in India, who loaned them books, 
papers, and magazines. The English magistrate was an accom- 
plished gentleman, and was good enough to keep his orderly 
*' on the run " with current books and periodicals for the Stod- 
dard home. Baptist missionaries did not have much money 
to spend on luxuries, and hardly enough for the necessaries of 
life, so this was a much appreciated favor. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS ii 

The three Stoddard children — Bertha, Ella, and Ira Joy — 
were born during this sojourn in India. 

After nine years among the people of Nowgong, Dr. and 
Mrs. Stoddard returned to America. Mrs. Stoddard had suf- 
fered greatly from the fevers of the country, but she had grown 
acclimated, when her husband was so prostrated that they were 
compelled to give up their work in India. 

Soon after they returned to America, Mrs. Stoddard's fame 
as an instructress reached the little college town of Pella, and 
she was invited by the trustees of " Central" to take charge 
of the Ladies' Department of the College. Fortunately for 
us, Dr. Stoddard had been ordered by his physicians to pro- 
ceed inland, where the air was dry and anti-malarial. Iowa 
was decided upon. Mrs. Stoddard accepted the position 
offered her, and at once entered upon her duties. 

At that time Dr. Gunn was president of the College. What 
Mrs. Stoddard was able to do for the unclothed youth of the 
far East we can never fully and clearly know, but we have 
definite and positive knowledge of the work accomplished 
in her new "mission." The college had never possessed a 
" mother," and, as it was a co-educational institution, one 
was needed very much. It was denominational, and Mrs. 
Stoddard, having embraced the Baptist faith on her marriage, 
met the requirements on that score. Most perfectly and fully 
she filled her position, and performed her duties in a manner 
which placed her above praise. 

Just here I feel so keenly my inability to do this noble 
woman justice that I am tempted to throw aside my pen, for 
so many of my readers know, better than I can tell, what a 
life of self-abnegation, sacrifice, and devotion she lived while 
following the lines of self-imposed duty to the youth of the 
new State of Iowa. She was so well equipped in every par- 
ticular, and so imbued with love of her work, and so absorbed 
in the interest of the young people committed to her care, 
that her immediate success was assured. 

Having her home to manage, three little children to fill her 



12 _, A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

thoughts, and her busy school life, it is hard to see how she 
accomplished all that we know she brought about in her dual 
life as home-maker and College mother. No one not possessed 
of extraordinary talent for planning and strong executive abil- 
ity could have met the demands of both exacting vocations. 
She had what the New England people call " faculty," and 
did not seem to be obliged to observe the formulae that women 
of less ability were obliged to follow. 

Sacrificing her natural inclinations to her enthusiastic love 
for the youth under her care, and their interests, and having 
an abiding faith in the College and its future, she smothered 
the cry within her for more light and greater advancement, 
and kept bravely on. Learned beyond the common in many 
scientific subjects, her researches would have been invaluable 
had she been where her wonderful mental forces could have 
been brought to notice. 

If one has not been in a " world " whose fields are rich with 
the allurements of science, art, and philosophy, he knows 
nothing of the temptations they possess to one used to close 
contact with superior minds and cultivated tastes. The gar- 
nered stores of the matured and harvested grain attract and 
win from the rolling plains where culture and development 
have only begun. It takes courage and strength to turn the 
back upon advantages which we are probably given only one 
life to enjoy. 

Mrs. Stoddard accepted this life of seeming duty and depri- 
vation. God blessed her for so doing. I cannot say selfishly 
that I am glad she took up the work at " Central," but inas- 
much as it pleased her so to do, I can never be thankful 
enough that it was my good fortune to come under her judi- 
cious guidance and strengthening influence. 

Practical and conscientious in all the sterner virtues, Mrs. 
Stoddard has a lighter vein which is charming. No one can 
see the point of a joke quicker, or parry a thrust more adroitly 
than she. Verily she " hath a pretty wit," without the sting- 
of undue sarcasm or the bite of ill nature. During my last 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 13 

years of school life it was very interesting to watch the effect 
of her Friday afternoon lectures upon the younger girls. She 
believed in object-lessons, and would impress her remarks 
upon her listeners with clever pantomime worthy of a " star." 
She encouraged questions, and sometimes those put to her 
.almost upset her gravity. She could always control her face, 
but could not keep her eyes in complete scholastic subjection. 
Long after one would think she had forgotten the provoking 
•cause, those windows of the soul would dance and sparkle 
with suppressed merriment. She was a light of inspiration to 
her "girls," and was able to fill the most timid with confi- 
dence and ambition. Her rebukes, if administered at all, 
must always have been in private, for her heart was too tender 
to wound or mortify a student by public reproof. When her 
patience was sorely tried she smiled through it all, and*seemed 
unruffled. Her influence was elevating in the highest degree. 
Pure in thought herself, she would tolerate no unholy senti- 
ments in those under her charge. She was uncompromising 
in her dislike of vulgarity and idle talk. Stately and dignified, 
yet always approachable, no one ever dreamed of being unduly 
familiar with her. Her conversation among her pupils was 
lofty in tone, free from mannerisms and the slovenliness of 
slang. Her entire life was a lesson in itself, her cheerful 
unselfishness a sermon. 

Mrs. Stoddard's love of books amounts to almost a passion. 
The only times I have ever seen her utterly oblivious to her 
surroundings, the presence of friends, her meals, or the time 
of day or night, have been when she had captured a fine piece 
•of literature — a book which held the ripest thoughts of a great 
thinker, or a journal which brought the news from all the 
corners of the earth. Everything is " grist which comes to 
Jbermill." One of her uncles said, in a fit of impatience, when 
unable to claim her attention, " Give an Allen a book, and 
you can steal her birthright before her very eyes;" and I 
believe you could. When she was a little girl, " Drusilla's 
-candle " used to go upstairs at night very long; when it came 



14 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

down in the morning it was very short. A watchful mother 
was not slow in rectifying this untimely diligence. 

Mrs. Stoddard could not associate with any one without 
inspiring her with a love of knowledge for its own sake, a 
desire to know the great secrets of nature's laboratory, and an 
ambition to become a scholar and cultured in one or many 
directions. She studied the trend of her pupils' abilities, and 
spurred them on to advancement and excellence. Always ready 
with sympathy, her devotion to her girls was touching. In their 
youth and inexperience she was a genuine mother to them all. 

" Times were hard " in those early days, and when the war 
came, with its high prices and scarcity of both luxuries and 
necessaries, many people who had always known comfort were 
sorely troubled and pinched. It was hard for the farmers to 
keep their girls in school after they had sent their sowers and 
reapers into a larger and less peaceful field. There was no 
money with which to hire men, and there were few men to be 
hired. Many a rosy-cheeked schoolgirl was called home from 
college to help " put in the crop," and could not return the 
following autumn until after the harvest was gathered. Then 
she would teach, perhaps, a country school for a term, to obtain 
the money for books and clothing, should she be so fortunate 
as to be able to return to school after the holidays. Mrs. Stod- 
dard used to " beg hard " for the girls, and tried to persuade 
their parents that they had better economize in other ways 
and leave their daughters undisturbed in their college work. 
Many a victory she won, and many a jug of milk and 
loaf of bread found its way from her own thriftily man- 
aged storeroom to the slim little larder of the girl who 
was trying to keep up with her classes and " board her- 
self." 

We always prize that which we must struggle to obtain. 
These heroic girls, who lived in cramped quarters and endured 
every discomfort, felt that they were enjoying the greatest 
possible blessing in being enabled to secure that which really 
outweighs almost everything else — a sound and liberal educa- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 15 

tion. Many times, when their provisions ran low in both 
pantry and cellar, it would suddenly occur to Mrs. Stoddard 
that this or that young woman needed a " change," and she 
would invite her for a visit which lasted until supplies came 
from home. She managed to have her pupils warmly clothed 
in the severe weather by adroitly asking one of the number who 
possessed a handsome wardrobe to wear a homespun gown. 
Soon it was the fashion to wear the pretty checked and striped 
" all wools" made on the farms; they were within reach of 
every one. That was a sensible and health-saving device. She 
advised, for wear in the deep snows and during the wet season, 
high leather boots, and had them made for her own little girls. 
There were so few sidewalks in that early day that this was 
a most comfortable departure, and enabled the girls to sit 
through their recitations with dry feet. She seemed to think 
of everything that would strengthen and develop her charges 
physically as well as mentally. 

Nearly all the members of the faculty found homes with 
Mrs. Stoddard or Mrs. Scarff, the President's wife. Their 
warm hearts took in many homesick girls besides. They 
crowded their families into close quarters to make room for all 
these. 

A college town is a most hospitable place to students, if it 
is small enough to regard the college as its principal interest. 
There no one is too conservative or exclusive to take a 
" boarder." The prominent families in the town guard care- 
fully the young people who are sent among them, and see that 
they are provided with homes; and their own hearts are 
kept mellow by this intercourse, which is mutually help- 
ful. 

Mrs. Stoddard's supervision of her department was marvellous. 
It was personal and effective ; never seeming to see anything, she 
saw everything. If she discovered a student who had slack- 
ened in her work, she looked for and soon found what was 
interesting the delinquent. She was wont to say: "You 
know nature abhors a vacuum; if study is not filling her mind. 



i6 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

something else is," She always proceeded upon that prin- 
ciple, and wisely and tactfully set the offender on the right 
way. 

She improved every opportunity to " point a moral" and 
" adorn a tale." Her guests were always drawn out for the 
improvement and edification of the students in her home. An 
old gentleman, who was renowned throughout the village for 
his philosophy and homely wisdom, dined with her one day. 
She always found him a never-failing source of interest. At 
the close of the meal Mrs. Stoddard said to him: " Father 
Jenkins, you have the faculty of living in such a way that you 
make no enemies, and yet you are full of strong convictions 
and have your own opinions. I wish you would tell these 
young ladies how you manage it, and I would like to know 
myself." The old gentleman pushed his chair back from the 
table and said, with great seriousness: "Sister Stoddard, 
when I was young I larnt manners." That was the secret of 
it all. He respected other people, and compelled them to 
respect him. It taught him to live the life of gentleness and 
true good breeding, which made the dear, quaint little man so 
well beloved in the community. 

With the beginning of each college year came a time which 
none of us could have gone through alone. Then Mrs. Stod- 
dard was guide, philosopher, and friend. She was everywhere 
in a minute, but never seemed the least bit excited ; though I 
think she must have been, as I well remember, in those first 
busy days, how her eyes shone. She was ready with her 
counsel and bit of advice for the agitated and lonesome 
"new" girl, supervised her course, welcomed her into her 
heart of hearts, and invited her to come to her with her con- 
fidences, were they laden with sorrow or joy. What a troop 
of people she took into her sheltering home, with its elastic 
hospitality ! At these times every one went there that was not 
provided for elsewhere. It was a source of wonder how so 
many were housed in the low, rambling house, covered with 
vines and roses. Another thing hard to understand was the 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 



17 



financial side of all this. It dawned upon me gradually, and 
not until a late day, that Dr. Scarff, Dr. Stoddard, and Pro- 
fessor Currier were not luxuriating in wealth. So cheerful 
were they that I never dreamed that times were stringent and 
tuition fees elusive. It was an early impression of mine that 
college presidents and professors were so extraordinary that 
the wants of work-a-day people could not assail them. Never 
did I hear one of those devoted teachers say that " times were 
hard," or that they " could not afford " a coveted luxury, or 
that the college board was underpaying them, or that the 
students were slow in adjusting their fees, or make the slight- 
est expression of discomfort or discontent. Now we know 
that they denied themselves a very great deal, and must by 
magic alone have managed to meet their expenses. They 
lived beautiful, pious lives, and told of Christianity and the 
love of God by their irreproachable examples. Dr. Scarff's 
sermons always pointed the " way," and his simple faith and 
firm belief have led many a rebellious spirit to " bend the 
knee " and " kiss the rod." He led into " green pastures" 
and " beside still waters," and counselled against sudden 
impulse and excitement. 

Mrs. Stoddard had wonderful facility in managing her house- 
hold affairs. She never seemed hurried, even when we knew 
she was at her wits' end for time. When arranging for a meal, 
she laid the campaign for the next, and kept her work in front 
of her, whence she could move it along. Everything she did 
was so well and deftly done that it was a model lesson. Truly 
there is a recompense in teaching the young, for the benefits 
go on for all time. As interesting and instructive as Mrs. 
Stoddard's precepts seemed to me when a girl, they are of 
infinitely more value to me now. I can appreciate more nearly 
the intellectual strength of this superb woman ; can see what it 
cost her, day by day, to set such an example, and can realize 
how she must have hungered for the opportunities of the 
larger world in which she would have been such a shining 
ornament. Having an easy and graceful as well as forceful 



1 8 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

pen, she could have earned, in another vocation, many times 
what her salary amounted to. 

Mrs. Stoddard's personal appearance is most interesting. 
She is rather below than above medium stature, with full, 
round figure ; has very dark-brown hair, and extremely large, 
dark-brown eyes, which, besides being truly magnificent, pos- 
sess the power of seeing into the innermost and darkest corners 
of one's soul. When her eyes opened wide and solemnly, 
saddened over our peccadilloes, our hearts came near breaking; 
when they filled with the light of approbation, we were raised 
to the seventh heaven. With them she could have taught the 
entire college course, even though she were dumb. When 
Dr. Stoddard was a young man some one asked him if he 
" thought Drusilla Allen had a pretty mouth," " I don't 
know," he said; " I have never looked below her eyes." Fine 
color, too, was one of her charms; and she was so splendidly 
muscled in those teaching days that it was a treat to watch 
her strong, free movements. Her brow was, and is, her 
especial glory. Modelled like the dome of St. Peter's, it sug- 
gests the possibility of any intellectual achievement. The brain 
beneath is fine and vigorous, and well worthy its royal domicile. 

The Stoddard home was rich in summer bloom. Dr. Stod- 
dard made the lawn and garden his special care, and every- 
thing he produced was superior. He and Dr. Scarff vied with 
each other in horticultural exploits and experiments. When 
they succeeded in raising something fine the neighbors were 
"treated" to a basket of the delicacy. Once Dr. Scarff 
brought a pretty bunch of fruit, of a new variety, to my 
father. Dr. Howell, saying, as he handed it to him, " Stod- 
dard tried to raise this fruit and failed." There was as much 
glee expressed by this remark as if he were a ten-year-old boy, 
and had beaten one of his confreres in a foot-race. Then, 
again, the tables were turned, when Dr. Stoddard would come 
in for the larger share of the glory. Occasionally my father 
would have better luck than either of them, and would exhibit 
the fruits of his skill with pardonable pride. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS ig 

There is a sort of freemasonry among those who wrest from 
the earth the best she can produce. Turning over the soil 
brings them down to first principles ; the mystery of reproduc- 
tion is performed before their eyes. And they are fond of dis- 
cussing the strange developments of grafting, crossing, and 
hybridizing choice and unusual species. There is a fascination 
in " mellowing" the soil, and there is no pursuit which pays 
so well, in bringing health and strength, and in destroying the 
morbid germs which infest and prey upon those who live lives 
of ease and inactivity. Living close to nature is a sovereign 
remedy for most of the ills to which we have fallen heir, and 
those who are wisest of our race have learned this truth. No 
peach ever tasted as sweet as the one which grew upon the 
tree that came from the stone we planted, and the little twig 
we grafted, and no rose ever exhaled such fragrance as the 
" American Beauty" whose mother-bush we carried home in 
an old tomato can and planted with care in our choicest 
border. 

Mrs. Stoddard did not find much time to devote to flowers, 
but she loved them, and no travelling friends can give her 
greater pleasure than to send her specimens of the flora of the 
lands in which they are jaunting. She presses and mounts 
them with scientific skill, and can tell you all about the gen- 
era to which they belong. 

The alumni will remember well the lesson of industry which 
Mrs. Stoddard was herself. I believe she never spent an idle 
moment. Her energy was a rebuke to all who sat with folded 
hands when there was something to be done. With all her 
interests and cares she had but little time for the siesta or the 
hour of recreation. She planned and worked so skilfully that 
nothing in which she was engaged seemed like drudgery. Her 
sewing was always ready for the needle, and in just the right 
place. So much can be accomplished by having a little piece 
of work always at hand. When a neighbor's call extends over 
two or three hours, one can thus visit with an easy conscience. 
There is something cosy and comfortable about a jolly little 



20 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

work-basket filled with little aprons, a bit of fancy work, bob- 
bins of silk, " strawberry emery," fat pin-cushions, bright 
wools, glistening scissors, and all the shining implements a 
busy woman loves to use and keep in order. A woman thus 
equipped is never " rushed' to death " when preparing for any 
special occasion. Her gloves are in order, the pinafores have 
the regulation number of buttons, the home-made ball is ready 
for the bat, and the " centre-piece," with its wild roses and 
maidenhair fern, is awaiting the coming of a visitor to make 
its first appearance. Of course it is easier to preach than to 
practise, to present theories than to abide by them. It is 
" less difficult to teach twenty the proper way, than to be 
one of the twenty to follow our own precepts." We can 
seldom, if ever, come up to our own ideals; but no effort is 
lost, and we can follow in the footsteps of those who have 
attained a higher degree of excellence than ourselves, even 
though we never quite overtake them. 

It is to be deplored that Mrs. Stoddard's fine health was 
impaired by the rigors of the uncompromising Iowa climate, 
and the additional fact that the college recitations were held 
for years in totally unsuitable rooms. The enterprise was 
new, and the funds were exhausted before the interior of the 
college building was finished. The classes were held in rooms 
not much warmer than out-of-doors; the heating arrangements 
were insufificient, and the accommodations poor in every way. 
There were no campus walks, and no snow-ploughs. Small 
wonder that colds and coughs prevailed, and that not a few 
of the pupils succumbed to them. Mrs. Stoddard contracted 
catarrhal trouble, which resulted in her deafness, the seeds of 
it having been sown by her malarial illnesses in India. For 
years she bore her malady uncomplainingly, but was obliged 
finally to withdraw from active work in the college. This 
calamity, for it was a cruel loss, came in 1876. But, although 
her official connection with the college was severed, nothing 
could remove her from the councils of the board and faculty. 
She is, and ever should be, the adviser, facile princeps, of 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 21 

the college officials. And she is still en rapport with the 
students. 

I cannot remember ever going to her house without meeting 
a student of the past or present day, and usually I encounter 
half a dozen ; so many, in fact, that I complain that I can 
" never get a word in edgeways," " So many girls seem to 
need your advice," I complain. Mrs. Stoddard smiles and 
says: " Yes, they are just as mistaken as you were when you 
were a girl, and thought no one knew anything but Mrs. 
Stoddard." 

While Mrs. Stoddard is not more than five feet two inches 
tall, she is possessed of so much dignity that she seemed, in 
those college days, taller than any one I knew. No one in 
Pella seemed so imposing as she. She took advantage of 
every inch of her height, and no one ever caught her sitting 
carelessly or otherwise than perfectly upright in her chair. 
As I recall her pose, I involuntarily straighten, throw out my 
chest and fill my lungs. And you, fellow-students, are prob- 
ably doing the same, and pondering on those wonderful lessons 
in hygiene she used to deliver to us. 

In the management of her children Mrs. Stoddard had a 
happy way that kept their little brains interested. Professor 
Currier came in one morning before breakfast was ready. Ira 
Joy Stoddard was impatient. His mother told him that if he 
was in a hurry, he and " King Alfred " must turn the cakes 
while she "did something else." "Who is he?" the boy 
asked. " Oh, Professor Currier will tell you!" And so she 
always turned the homeliest thing to account. 

All of her teachings were illustrated in ways which fastened 
them on the mind. She took her children to Sabbath-school 
and to church on Sunday, and then back home for a lesson in 
the Old Testament. After dinner she took them for a walk 
" to see what God had made." 

Mrs. Stoddard is a strong believer in the tremendous influ- 
ence of heredity, as was her mother, who was a marvellous 
judge and reader of character. One of Mrs. Stoddard's sisters 



22 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

became interested in a young man named Coster, who seemed 
to be much the best of his family, and was trying to find 
excuses for him. Mother Allen shook her head and said : " It 
is of no use ; he may seem well enough now, but wait till he is 
of age, and thee will see a Coster." A stream rises no higher 
than its source. Dr. Holmes says: " In order to be able to 
heal, it is necessary to know one's grandfather." " Blood 
will tell," and so will " disposition." If this doctrine were 
taught and believed more generally, fewer children would have 
to battle against the plagues of temper and distemper which 
descend to them. 

When Mrs. Stoddard first began to study geography there 
were only twenty- four States in the Union. Nothing of 
moment has occurred on this globe since that time which has 
escaped her attention. Her atlas lies by the side of whatever 
book she is reading, and she studies it assiduously. I asked 
her once what was her first great loss. She said, without a 
moment's hesitation, " My geography." When she was a 
very little girl she had a fine, illustrated atlas, which was her 
pride and delight. One night she left it at the schoolhouse. 
As her father was driving the children to school in a sleigh the 
next morning, he suddenly drew up his horse and said: " Chil- 
dren, thy schoolhouse is burned." Poor little Drusilla wept 
long and bitterly over the book which was then ashes. She 
wept again when she spoke of it a year ago. The father, ever 
loving and tender, comforted her by saying: " Never mind, my 
daughter, thy geography is gone, but thee shall have another." 

Mrs. Stoddard's love of flowers is touching; the smallest 
wild-flower is a joy to her. She tells many pretty incidents of 
long tramps in the woods in search of blossoms, roots, and 
herbs during her girl life in New York. Several years ago she 
went to visit her old home in the springtime, so that she could 
go out and look for the early buds, and see if they looked as 
they did before she went to India. For forty years she had 
not been at the scene of her youth in the springtime. As she 
found herself in the old haunts, where she had gathered the 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 23 

sweet crinkly root and May-flowers, her feelings so over- 
whelmed her that she fell on her knees and wept for joy. 
There were the familiar friends, the mosses, tiny shoots, fresh 
leaves, and all ; and the air was heavy with the same fragrance 
that was exhaled in these wooded dells so many years ago. 
Mrs. Stoddard said, in telling of this: " My dear child, people 
do not appreciate what they are passing by, the beautiful 
things in the woods, the brooks, and the lanes." In a letter 
recently received she says: " I am anxious for the days to 
come when I can go out to meet the spring." She retains 
her love for nature and its beauties, and is constantly studying 
its secrets and enjoying its phases. 

Walter Scott is a great favorite with her, " for he is one of 
nature's truest and closest students. In his descriptive writ- 
ing he never failed to place the proper flowers in th^r proper 
clime." A friend once said to him, when he was taking a 
great deal of pains to learn the habits and haunts of a particu- 
lar flower to which he wished to refer: " No matter what you 
say about it, no one will know the difference." Scott replied : 
^* I cannot afford to tamper with nature. She makes no mis- 
takes, and never repeats herself. If we are true to her, we 
will never want for fine and interesting pictures." 

Insect life is particularly entertaining to Mrs. Stoddard. 
"' They are like the poor," she says; " we have them always 
with us, and I like to know something of their habits, and 
what we may expect of them." 

It is no unusual sight to see Mrs. Stoddard, now in the sev- 
enties, board an early morning train for a day's reading in the 
superb library in the Capitol at Des Moines. A new flower, 
bird, butterfly, war rumor, mine development, or anything 
concerning which she wishes expert information, starts her off 
on one of these days of research. She rides an hour and a 
quarter, knitting all the way, and comes home on a late even- 
ing train tired but happy. She is an omnivorous reader; she 
finds some good in almost everything. The last time I saw 
her she had just finished reading nine volumes of Francis Park- 



24 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

man, and was longing to secure " The Oregon Trail," that she 
might be the possessor of all he had written. While visiting 
her daughter at Rahway, New Jersey, the fine City Library 
there was her great delight. She loves a novel of the right sort, 
and can become as deeply absorbed in fiction as in fact. The 
affliction of deafness is largely ameliorated by this love of read- 
ing and her ability to find absorption and entertainment in the 
book world. 

Having made a collection of the portraits of kings, queens, 
principal ministers, councillors, and court favorites from the 
time of Henry the Eighth to the close of the reign of Queen 
Anne, Mrs. Stoddard has been engaged in writing a short 
sketch of each of these celebrities, giving their personal char- 
acteristics, and commenting on their vices and virtues as they 
appear to her mind. There are nearly one hundred of these 
sketches, and she has read extensively in order to give a faith- 
ful exposition of each character. She has taken great pleasure 
in the work, and it would be of general interest should she 
decide to publish it. 

Mrs. Stoddard's love for reading developed very early. She 
had her share of the family knitting to do, and she wanted to 
do more than her share of the reading. So she learned to do 
both at once, and soon became so expert that she could knit 
faster when she had a book before her than when she had not. 
As a child she was strong and active, and she never knew ill- 
ness until the fevers of India laid her low. She never thought 
herself pretty, and one day lamented before her mother that 
she was not so handsome as her elder sister. Her mother 
rebuked her by saying: " If thee will only behave as well as 
thee looks, thee will do well enough." She was always fond 
of company, and with her high spirits and animation she was 
a bright acquisition to the social circles in her neighborhood. 
Never at a loss for a witty reply or a quick retort, she had the 
charm of unique individuality, and was always saying the 
thing least expected. 

Mrs. Stoddard, with all her cares, always seemed light- 







GROUP TWENTY-THREE. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 25 

hearted and buoyant. She endured her griefs and " crosses " 
bravely, for there is no doubt she had plenty of them ; but she 
was not the sort who bear " more than one kind of trouble at 
a time." Edward Everett Hale says: " Many people bear 
three kinds at once — all they have ever had, all they have 
now, and all they expect to have." 

It has been my privilege to be with Mrs. Stoddard fre- 
quently within the last few years, and she has given me the 
data required for this sketch, and told me of other sources of 
information concerning her girlhood. The piquancy of her 
answers to my many questions will be lost if I try to put them 
in my own words, so I give them as an " interview." 

" Please tell me, Mrs. Stoddard, of the joys of your child- 
hood. Did you love dolls, and domestic duties, and " 

" Indeed I did not," she interrupted. " I loved nothing 
which kept me indoors. Dolls, patchwork, and housekeeping 
had no charms for me. I was happiest when I could be off 
for the woods and fields, to gather flowers or nuts, or with 
my brother to the brook to fish for speckled trout. I have 
heard people speak pityingly of children reared in the dulness 
of the country, but it was an interesting life always to me. 
Each season brought its excitements and peculiar pleasures. 
When the snow melted, the red wintergreen berries were ready 
for picking. Their wild, spicy flavor I can never forget. 
With the opening of spring we found the hepaticus, trailing 
arbutus, violets of many kinds, trilliums (white, painted, and 
purple), and an unbroken succession of flowers and vines, until 
the golden-rod and purple asters flaunted the last flag of flora 
in the autumn winds. Then we gathered chestnuts and but- 
ternuts for the long winter evenings, though we thought only 
of the pleasures of " nutting " at the time. 

" Winter with its snow and ice brought manifold joys in 
the coasting and sleigh-riding. The face of nature then had 
its own peculiar charm. I can see now the little cascades in 
the brook, with their lattice curtains and eaves of ice, among 
which the falling waters tinkled so musically. 



26 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

" My pet books ? Though there were more books and 
newspapers in my father's house than in any other for many 
miles around, they were limited, so I read them all, even 
* Barclay's Portraiture of Quakerism ' and * Clarkson's History 
of the Slave-trade,' though I was very young ; but I liked 
better ' Ossian's Poems ' and Cowper's * Task.' But later, as 
Whittier's poems appeared, at first in his own anti-slavery 
papers, they were my great favorites ; and when I got hold of 
Scott's ' Lady of the Lake ' and other poems, it was a red- 
letter day in my life. I was always very fond of poetry and 
romance, but I was prudently checked from going too far in 
following this taste. 

" What were my favorite studies ? I was fond always of 
any natural science, geography, and history. My special inter- 
est in the last began when I was nine years old. A man who 
was building a house for my father loaned me a history of 
England which was illustrated. It was a work of one volume, 
not very large, but to me it was of the greatest importance, 
and certain passages of the book were indelibly impressed on 
my mind. Elfrida giving the stirrup-cup to her stepson, 
while she watches the man she had hired to stab him in the 
back, I can set to this day." 

" When did you become a Baptist ? " 

" While I was at school in Troy. My conversion was not a 
sudden emotion with me, but very gradual." 

" Were you a romping or quiet girl ? " 

" Romping, so far as my opportunities allowed. I always 
wanted to be outdoors. I could not have been more than 
seven or eight years old when I was taught to blow the conch- 
shell, and was daily sent to the top of the hill to call the men 
from the fields to dinner. I became such an expert in this 
art, that in favorable states of the atmosphere my blast could 
be heard miles away. Always when I was at home I blew the 
conch-shell, and when I had been away for a time people in 
the vicinity first knew of my return by my long-sounding 
call." 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 27 

" How many children were there in your family ? " 

" My mother had eight children. Seven of them lived to 
marry and rear families of their own. My sister younger than 
I died in her second year. They used to say I was the baby 
twice, and * that was what spoiled me. ' This was to account 
for my wanting my own way. When I set out to carry a 
measure I usually did it. It was a great trial to my parents 
to have me go to India the first time. Great pains had been 
taken with my education, and they lamented that I had been 
preparing myself * for a life of usefulness, and was now throw- 
ing myself away.' This every one who knew the family well 
understood, for the Quakers were opposed to missions. When 
we were getting ready to return in 1866 a friend said to my 
mother : * You are now willing to have your daughter go to 
India ? ' The little mother quietly answered: ' I am not; but 
thee knows when Drusilla makes up her mind to anything, 
there is no use talking.' " 

" When did you first meet Dr. Stoddard ? " 

" About nine years before we were married. I knew his 
family, but had little acquaintance with him until five or six 
years after meeting him. I first saw him on an Erie canal- 
boat, as I was going to my school in Troy, and^hewjjh^some 
of his classmates was returning to Colgate, jyoiv Hamilton 
College. I was not married in ' Quaker meeting,' but in my 
father's house, by a Baptist minister." 

" How did you happen to marry Dr. Stoddard ? " 

(Here I wish you could have seen the twinkle in her eye.) 

" Well, he asked me to marry him, and — I thought I 
would. 

" Our children were all born in India." 

" Who made your clothing in India ? " 

" For ages, India has been a country where the finest cloths 
and shawls and the most beautiful embroideries in the world 
are made. There are many whose trade is sewing. Give one 
of these experts a garment to copy, with the material for a 
new one, and you will have an exact reproduction. They 



28 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

imitate so closely that they will even tear and darn the new- 
gown if the old one has been so unfortunate as to need mend- 
ing, unless they are watched. 

" No, the English do not wear native dress. From time 
beyond the memory of man, the same style of dress and orna- 
ments has been in vogue with these people. The Moham- 
medans dress a little differently from the Hindus. Different 
nations differ in their garb in many respects, but there is a 
similarity prevailing among the races in all India. Within the 
last half-century many of the younger men who are college- 
bred and versed in English manners have adopted the English 
dress. 

" Where we lived in India there were no libraries, clubs, or 
museums, outside of the large cities where there were many 
English people. In Calcutta and Bombay they had all these 
advantages." 

How did you keep pace with the march of events ? " 

" We didn't keep pace. We couldn't hear even the music. 
For a long time after we first went to Assam, no newspapers 
were sent out overland, that is, via the Mediterranean and the 
camel route from Alexandria to Suez, where another steamer 
was waiting to continue the journey to Calcutta; while a thou- 
sand camels carried the steamer's freight, there were carriages 
of some kind to carry the passengers across the dry land 
between the two steamers. Now the steamers go through the 
Suez Canal and stop at Bombay or go on to Calcutta. The 
railway runs across India and part of the way into Assam. 
This makes a vast difference in time and expense in sending 
mail. From Upper Assam to Des Moines is now only a jour- 
ney of six weeks ; and five cents will pay for the carriage of a 
letter not overweight, whereas it formerly cost thirty or forty 
cents and was several months on the way. Our friend, the 
English magistrate, received fine bundles of books and papers 
by each steamer, which he shared generously with us ; and he 
always came to see us to talk over the last batch of news." 

" Any sociability ? " 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 29 

" Perhaps there is no place in the world where Europeans 
are more sociable than in the small stations in India where 
there are a dozen and often fewer white people. After busi- 
ness hours, the officers ride and drive and make calls on each 
other. They dine in the evening, and often together. How- 
ever few they may be at table, they observe the strictest 
etiquette. A clergyman is " in society " ; with the same educa- 
tion and attainments, a " trader " would not be admitted to 
this charmed official circle. The English set was most kind to 
us, and frequently invited us to fine dinners, which courtesy 
we were never expected to return. Native officials frequently 
called upon us, but of course would not eat of our food. Mis- 
sionaries learn the language of the country as soon as possible. 
Hundreds and thousands of the natives learn English.'^ 

" What was your usual menu ? " 

" For breakfast, rice and dhall, a boiled &%^, tea, dry toast, 
and fried bananas, oftener than anything else. Dinner, rice, 
soup of peas (that is, dhall), a roast fowl, and another fowl 
made into curry. Tea, bread and butter — when butter could 
be obtained — crackers, arrowroot, or sago. Sometimes we 
had mutton, ducks, geese, fish, fruits, oranges, guavas, man- 
goes, etc., in their season. Those who have large wealth can 
have a larger and better variety, with all kinds of canned and 
preserved eatables. Beef we could never get in Assam. I 
kept a Mohammedan cook, and an assistant to wait upon him. 
When we went to visit other missionaries the cook always 
went along to help with the work. When one is invited out 
to dine in India, the cook or table waiter always goes to wait 
on his master or mistress at table. I have been to dinners 
where a servant stood behind every chair." 

" Did you ever feel lonely in this strange land ? " 

" No, I was too busy, too constantly occupied in trying to 
do the work of two or three women." 

" How did your three little children thrive in India ? " 

" They were all born during our first stay there, and became 
in a measure acclimated. They suffered more or less with the 



30 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

ailments peculiar to that climate. I had the care of the food 
and clothing of a large school of boys. When they were ill I 
treated them. Part of the time I taught the boys English. 
The girls' department was in a separate building, where I had 
them cook their own food, learn to spin, weave, sew, and do 
some fancy work. I had a native pundit teach them three 
hours in the forenoon. They worked in the afternoon, sewing 
for themselves and the boys. The missionaries made a good 
market for "piece" goods. As fast as the natives became 
evangelized, they grew dissatisfied with the customary strip 
of cloth and their generally unclothed appearance. In those 
days there were no ladies' societies sending out single women 
to assist the missionaries. I needed two helpers. After a 
few years I found a very excellent and faithful woman, an 
Eurasian (half native), who took charge of the girls, and lived 
in the house with them. This gave me more time to talk 
with the village people, who constantly came to our house, 
and to visit them in their own homes. A great advance has 
been made in the condition of the women of that country since 
Victoria's reign over the Indies. Fifty years ago, very few 
women were taught to read. Now ability to read among 
them is quite general. There are fine schools which they may 
attend, also seminaries and medical colleges. A woman is 
president of the Methodist College there." 

" Was Dr. Stoddard a Quaker ? " 

" Oh, no! His father was a Baptist preacher, and he was 
brought up very strictly by the tenets of that faith, and held a 
very poor opinion of Quakers until I taught him better." 

" Upon what method do you base your school teaching ? " 
No one can be a successful teacher unless able to arrest 
the attention of his pupils, and to hold it until their interest 
and curiosity can be aroused. They must be taught to inves- 
tigate individually. Show a boy a berry patch and give him a 
basket, and you are sure to have some results. Keep the 
pupils inquiring. Do not work yourself to death explaining, 
but put them in the way of finding out for themselves. Arouse 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 31 

their pride, and above all, do not swamp them with over- 
work. I never had any trouble in making students out of my 
'young people.' After I had them well started they never 
seemed to want to let go. Some of the natives in our school 
in India made fine students." 

" Was your home safe and pleasant ? " 

"Yes, after we moved to the Bluffs. But there were snakes 
everywhere ; the grass was kept short about the house to keep 
the cobras from coming too close. There is no cure for the 
cobra bite. We never hung our gowns near the wall for fear 
a snake might conceal itself in their folds. Our boots and 
slippers were rapped sharply before we put them on, for there 
was no knowing what creature had taken refuge in them." 

" Was your family horse an elephant ? " 

" We frequently used elephants, but had a pony and carriage. 
My son Ira Joy and myself came near ending our days in a 
jungle on account of one elephant ride. Usually the animals 
are very tractable and safe, but on this occasion our steed was 
most perverse. It was in May, after the heavy rains had 
begun to fall, when we seldom travelled except by boat. Mr. 
Stoddard was anxious to visit a school, to carry them new 
books, and was also going to several Garo villages. Our 
magistrate had loaned us his three elephants, all of which we 
did not need, but they always went together. We made our 
start one rainy morning. Two of the elephants were loaded 
with our boxes of books, slates, beds, cooking utensils, dishes, 
stools, cane-chairs, camp-beds, camp-tables, food, medicine, 
and the thousand ' must haves ' and ' may wants ' for a three 
weeks' camping trip. The rain delayed our starting, but 
finally the last elephant had lifted his driver, or mahout, on his 
neck, with his trunk, and off we started. Ira Joy and I were 
mounted on the leading elephant, those with the baggage were 
following. On the outskirts of the station the mahouts of the 
two laden elephants stopped to take up their own bundles and 
cooking utensils. Mr. Stoddard galloped ahead of us on his 
horse, for a horse and an elephant are always afraid of each other. 



32 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

" We had travelled a mile or two, and had reached a narrow 
road bordered with a thick growth of bushes and small trees. 
The foliage was so dense that one could not see three feet into 
its depths. My son had just said to me, " Here is where 
Bolaram was killed by the tiger last week," when our elephant 
turned sharply to the right, making her way into the jungle. 
I threw my umbrella back to the path, that both my hands 
might be free to hold to the railing in front of the seat. The 
mahout had no control of the elephant, so I turned to tell my 
son how to take hold of a tree and swing off, but he was 
already gone, having been thrown to the ground as the ele- 
phant rolled from side to side in his rapid gait. I began to 
watch for a tree large enough to hold me. As soon as I was 
able, I clutched one with both hands, and the elephant passed 
on from under me. The tree bent with my weight, and let 
me down on the bushes we had crushed in our progress. I 
started back along the path made by the elephant, and soon 
found my son quite unhurt, although he had narrowly missed 
being crushed by the lumbering hind foot of the elephant as 
she hurried over him. We made our way back to the road, 
where we were soon joined by Mr. Stoddard, who, on looking 
back, had missed us. The baggage elephants having come up 
in the meantime, their mahouts dismounted and unloaded 
them and started after the runaway. We could hear the cries 
and shouts of the driver from the jungle, and hurried the 
other mahouts off to his relief. He was unhurt, and they 
went on to hunt the missing elephant. When found she was 
driven back to her feeding place at the home of the magis- 
trate. The next morning saw us again started on our journey, 
but we rode one of the other elephants this time, and made 
the trip in safety. Oh, I can assure you life in India is not 
wanting in spice." 

" In what kind of a house did you live ? " 

" From recent reports I have reason to believe that we lived 
in the very best house in the country. It was a bungalow, 
built after Mr. Stoddard's own plan by himself and the natives 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 33 

who carried out his ideas. We lived in a little jhouse while 
the new one was building, a little three-stxSyaffair, under a 
great pepul-tree, which shaded the door. I must tell you of 
our new house, for I am proud of the work and of the archi- 
tect and builder. Mr. Stoddard had never even assisted in 
putting up a house, but he had seen one similar to that which 
he proposed building. He took a troop of coolies and an 
elephant several days' journey into the jungle, selected trees, 
had them felled and dragged to the river, upon whose breast 
they were floated down to our nearest landing, and thence 
hauled to our building site. The floor of the bungalow is 
usually on the ground, but we did not fancy living so near to 
mother earth. The "Stoddard Bungalow," as it is called, 
was built in this wise : The thirty large trees from tl^e forest 
were the posts. They were set eight feet in the ground. 
Eight feet above ground, upon large beams, mortised to the 
posts, was the board floor, which was a new feature in this 
country. Eight feet above the floor were the tops of the eigh- 
teen large outside posts, and sixteen feet from the floor were 
the tops of the twelve inside posts. Upon these thirty large 
timbers was the frame of the four-sided thatch roof. The idea 
was altogether new in that part of the world, and numerous 
were the predictions of our bungalow's downfall. ' The winds 
would blow it over,' and the ' earthquakes would overthrow 
it.' The house was fifty by seventy feet, including a large 
veranda, which ran about all sides. The large hall, which we 
used for drawing-room, dining-room, and chapel, accommo- 
dated our little school at evening worship. Fifty or more at a 
time would sit on the mat that covered the floor, with their 
backs against the wall, holding their Testaments and hymn- 
books, reading and singing as soon as they learned how. Then 
the sahib (Mr. Stoddard) talked to them and answered ques- 
tions. The mem sahib (myself) did not sing, but there were 
other things I could do. We had two bedrooms on each side 
of the hall, and bathrooms in three of them; so we could 
entertain our guests comfortably. How I wish I could have 
3 



34 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

had you for a visitor there ! I could have given you a nice 
meal, cooked by a Mohammedan who would have died (pre- 
sumably) before he would have eaten any of it himself.* The 
Mussulmans make good cooks and table servants; they begin 
on the lowest rung of the ladder and make their calling a life 
business. 

" Our drinking water we kept in a shady place outside of 
the house, in an earthen jar, holding about half a barrel, which 
the * paniwaller ' filled from the river. I hear they have 
wells in Assam now, but I never saw one there. A little 
powdered alum is sprinkled in the jar, which is supposed to 
clarify the water. Our goblets were not crystal, but earthen- 
ware, porous like a flower-pot, with a saucer to catch the mois- 
ture from the sides. I can never tell you fully how I longed 
for a draught from a fine old well I know of, which would have 
been glad to give me a cool, fresh drink." 

" Did your new house stand the earthquakes ? " 
" We have just had a letter (July, 1897) from a friend in 
Nowgong, who describes the fearful earthquake which de- 
stroyed so much property on the 12th of June. I quote from 
her letter. She says: 'Your two grand old bungalows (we 
had built a second one) stood the test like mighty giants, 
while almost every building in every station we have heard 
from is flat on the ground. Our beautiful court-house is a 
wreck; in fact, but one government building escaped. The 
native Christians were much alarmed, but they came to us at 
once, and we held a little prayer-meeting in the open space 
between the two old bungalows. We all stayed in the chapel 
the first night. I have no idea how many shocks we have 
had. This is the sixth day, and we have had none since 
morning. I thought you would like to know about the two 
Nowgong bungalows which Dr. Stoddard built forty-five years 
ago. Those great posts and beams are the admiration of all 

* Dr. Andrews, ex- President of Brown University, states that a Mohammedan 
will not eat pork. Perhaps he never had a cook who liked ham well enough to 
steal and eat it, saying it was not pork after it had been smoked. — Ed. 



I^^^ff^, 




^»' 







0^ )i^^/^/#-^^^^ 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 35 

Assam. Fine houses of brick, stone, and wood lie on the 
ground, while they stand majestically.' " 

" How did your children amuse themselves ? " 
" They were busy little people, and thought they must do 
just as we did. They played 'come to see' and 'school,' 
' meeting,' went on frequent ' boating ' excursions; and all the 
while never dared leave the veranda for fear of snakes. One 
of the favorite plays was the ' jungle trip.' When they went 
* boating ' they had for passengers dolls and blocks. Their 
boat was a long mat, on which they piled sticks, etc., to rep- 
resent dishes, cooking utensils, bedding, books, and tracts. 
Then they would start up the river with the sahibs' canes for 
oars. When they were afloat, they would sing their favorite 
chorus, ' Ram bole, hari bole, hari bole, hai ! hai ! ' witk sun- 
dry warnings to look out for ' alligators ' and ' snags. ' They 
always talked in Assamese when they played. When they 
had garden parties, the veranda would be stuck full of flowers 
which had to be brought to them from the garden," 
" Was the scenery interesting where you lived ?" 
" Very. From our house on the bluffs of Gwalpara we 
could see the Brahmaputra on three sides of us, and, beyond, 
the Himalayas, which seemed to support the heavens above 
them. The foliage is so fine and the plant life so rich that I 
was constantly entertained. It was a grief to me to leave it 
all. Our work had begun to bear such fine fruit. I had 
grown acclimated, but Mr. Stoddard broke down with fever, 
and it was no use to try to combat it, for he could not be 
cured while we stayed in that climate. We were no worse off 
than Alexander, who with his entire army was conquered by 
malaria, and sailed away down the Indus, vanquished and dis- 
heartened. So we went from our chosen land in 1857, but we 
resolved to try it again as soon as we were able. When we 
returned to India in 1866 we felt strong and glad. It was 
such a delight to take up the old work, and a great pleasure 
to speak the language. The natives complimented me by say- 
ing, ' The mem sahib's words flow from her tongue like oil, 



36 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

but the sahib has forgotten a little.' I stayed three years this 
time, and was obliged to return by the failure of my health. 
Our daughters we had left in school in Michigan when we 
went to India the second time; Ira Joy was with us. In 1869 
the children and I returned to Pella. But Mr. Stoddard re- 
mained four years longer, until his health broke down entirely. 

" I never heard classes after my return, but resumed my 
position as principal of the Ladies' Department." 

" Are you timid at sea ? " 

" Not at all. I am not a good sailor, but a good sleeper. 
I leave the navigation of the ship to the captain, and the rest 
to the Lord." 

" Where did you learn to deliver lectures and make 
speeches ?" 

" Not at Mrs. Willard's school," Mrs. Stoddard laughingly 
replied. " If Mrs. Emma had seen one of her girls stand 
upon a rostrum to deliver a lecture, I don't know but what 
her jet-black curls would have turned gray, although they 
were pinned on. When she started girls on the line of higher 
education, she did not foresee that women would be sure to 
want to tell what they knew." 

" When do you regard women as in their prime ? " 

" A woman, unless she has been perfectly free from care, 
with more than a usual amount of time to herself, does not 
reach her best estate until after she passes her fiftieth year. 
Her mind has a decided trend by that time, her thoughts are 
mature, her judgment clear, and her realization of the value of 
knowledge is complete. She should be able to do her best 
mental work between fifty and seventy-five years of age. My 
mother died at the age of eighty- four. She was bright and 
clear, intellectually, to the last. The day she died she fin- 
ished reading Seneca's ' Morals.' She lived with books until 
she passed away. We ' must advance or fall behind ; nothing 
stands still ; ' and nothing is to be so much dreaded as a bar- 
ren old age/' 

" Tell me about the little Garo baby you bought." 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 37 

" The second time we were in India we lived at Gwalpara, 
from where the Garos were reached, and where we had many 
of that tribe about us all the time, though their homes were a 
day's march inland. I did buy a little Garo baby, because she 
took to me as if I had bewitched her. But she died in six 
months of an ailment which was in her system when I took 
her. 

" How did you find the girls for your school when you were 
among the caste people in Nowgong ? " 

" They were mostly orphans, and not easily obtained, as 
girls were much sought after for servants, and for dancing-girls 
in the heathen temples. I knew of one temple which was said 
to have five hundred of them. I look back with satisfaction 
upon one victory I gained. One day word was brought in 
that a poor child had come to me and wanted to stay. I went 
out and found a most woebegone and famished creature, with 
one scanty, dirty rag for raiment. From what she said, and 
from what she looked, I learned that she had fled from a cruel 
master. The school-girls joyfully obeyed when I told them 
to bathe and dress her in clean clothes, comb her hair with a 
fine comb, and give her something to eat. 

"A few days after, a note was brought from the English 
magistrate, saying that the bearer claimed a girl whom I had 
taken in, and if the man's statement was correct that I would 
be obliged to give her up. I stepped out on the veranda and 
found a little weazened, wiry, wicked-looking man, who stated 
his case. The girl's father had died owing him a sum of 
money. The child's services must pay the debt. I knew this 
was an old Hindu law, and I think it still stands. I tried to 
excite this man's pity for the orphan whose father had been 
devoured by a tiger, but failed. He finally said : ' If you 
don't send her back I will take the case into court. You will 
have to employ a lawyer, and it will cost you a lot of rupees. ' 
I said to myself : ' What will I do ? It will break my heart to 
give up the child to such a fate.' Then I changed my tactics. 
I stepped to the edge of the porch, so that the people passing 



38 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

could hear me — and they all came running, as I had expected 
— and I continued talking to him : ' I will never give her up 
unless I am obliged to. Bring your case into court, and I will 
meet you there with the child. I want no lawyer; I can talk 
myself. I will stand her up before the magistrate and vil- 
lagers, and show how she has thrived on your treatment. I 
will have my sweeper carry her ragged robe on a stick, and 
show how comfortably you dressed her.' Soon all the crowd 
were jeering at him, and I effected by ridicule what I could not 
have done by scolding. He left the premises, and I heard no 
more of him. The girl became a Christian wife and mother, 
and when I came away, and she held her baby up for me to 
kiss, I knew I was leaving a grateful heart behind me." 

" Tell me of the little waif Lillie. " 

" Little Lillie I met out near the Methodist Church in Pella, 
one freezing day, carried in her mother's arms. She looked 
ill, and I stopped them, saying: ' The baby looks cold. You 
had better come over to my house and warm the little thing.' 
A storm came on, and they stayed with me several days. The 
mother then begged me to keep her, for she could not work 
and care for her properly. She was seventeen months old, 
and had never walked. The more I saw of her the more I 
wanted her, and when Mr. Stoddard discouraged my taking 
upon myself so much added care, I said, * You know if I was 
in Assam I would not turn away such a pitiful little child. 
Am I any the less a missionary because I am here ? ' My 
hand seemed to find this to do, so I took the baby into my 
heart and home. She became a happy and healthy child, 
and no one of my own ever loved me better or came nearer 
thinking me perfect. She died of diphtheria when she was 
six years old. She was a beautiful child, and was lovely in 
manners and disposition." 

" Can you tell me anything about the dark days of the col- 
lege in ^^kClf-^^ 

" Ah, my dear, I hope I may never again see so sad a time! 
We had become so involved, and every source from which we 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 



39 



had expected relief had so failed us, and the faith of some 
people, who should have been more courageous, had grown so 
weak, that it was decided by a committee that the College 
must suspend operations and declare itself a thing of the past, 
with no hope of a future." 

" How did this accord with your feelings ? " 

" I thought it was monstrous, and did not even try to be 
reconciled. So much of my life had gone into those four walls 
that it seemed almost like death to me to hear the dirge of 
dissolution chanted over that for which we had worked so hard 
and long." 

" Did you offer any protest ? " 

" Hardly that, but I think no one was in doubt as to my 
sentiments, for I could not conceal them. When I hq^rd the 
decision of the * Council,' I took Louise Morgan with me and 
went to see the president. I asked him if he * considered the 
life of the school at an end.' ' Most certainly,' he said. 
'Central University has finished its work.' We entered into 
no discussion upon the subject, but I asked him for the keys 
of the college building that I might visit it once more. I 
entered the hall alone, and locked the door behind me so no 
one might be a witness of my grief. I mounted the stairs to 
the third floor, and stayed long in the room where for so many 
years I had taught my classes. Then I moved from room to 
room. They all looked so comfortable and cozy, compared 
with their appearance in the early years, when the teachers 
themselves bought blackboards and charts to facilitate the 
work which was expected of them. I was like one dazed by 
a stunning blow. I had come to the greatest trial of my life 
and lacked the grace to bear it. I could neither pray nor 
weep. Finally I went to the chapel and sat in my old place 
on the platform. In imagination I saw the seats filled with 
youthful forms, full of life and energy. They were all there, 
all my boys and girls, but sadness shadowed each face. I 
could endure this only a little while. The cup seemed to be 
growing more bitter. Then I went to the library, not much 



40 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

of a place, to be sure, but I would have been glad, years 
before, to have had so many books for reference. I slowly 
took a few now from the shelves and put them on a chair. I 
did not know just what I wanted to do. My heart was so 
sore that it was a comfort to touch these dumb friends. As 
I laid them down my eyes fell on the ' Tablet,' our memorial 
to * Central's ' soldier boys. There were the names of Albert 
Hobbs, John and Joseph Ruckman, the Ritners, and all of 
those brave fellows who fell in battle. Their presence filled 
the room. Many of them had been very near to me. I have 
often said, ' No one but their mothers and sweethearts loved 
them more than I.' They seemed to be almost speaking to 
me. Tears rushed to my eyes, and I cried aloud, * Oh, my 
dear boys! If you had lived you would have fought the 
battles of your Alma Mater as faithfully as you fought those 
of your country.' Then it came to me that ' Old Central' 
had more living than dead children, and that in them she 
would find help and strength. Then I felt like praying, not 
for strength to bear this trial, but for wisdom and guidance for 
the friends of the College, and confusion to all its enemies. I 
rose from my knees and went out full of hope and faith in the 
future life and usefulness of the College. As you know, it did 
not die, and I do not believe that it will as long as there is 
need of its ministrations." 

A most happy event occurred on the 23d of August, 1897, in 
the little college town of Pella, Iowa. Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard 
celebrated their " golden wedding." Fifty years ago, in 1847, 
they spoke the vows which bound them together for all time. 
Each intervening year bears witness to their wedded happi- 
ness. More than is usual have they been together, for their 
life-work has been identical, their aims and ambitions the 
same. Together they builded their fortunes and solved life's 
problems. This has been an ideal marriage, a lesson and a 
rebuke to those who lightly enter the sacred precincts of 
matrimony, and as lightly regard their vows and the holiness 
of the marriage relation. Fifty years of happiness, half a cen- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATION'S 41 

tury of pure devotion, five decades of united loving work at 
home and abroad for the Master, Not one hour of that 
time have they failed in loyalty or swerved from their lofty 
purpose. Dedicating themselves in the fervor of their youth 
to a life of sacrifice, philanthropy, and devotion to humanity, 
they have held steadily on, until now fifty golden years, 
studded with good deeds, burnished with the sunshine of 
cheerfulness, made rich with gems of purity and piety, stand 
to their account with the great Justifier, the Infinite Power, in 
whose mighty hand rests all our reckonings. I stand in awe 
before lives like these. Dr. Stoddard has been a constant 
inspiration to Mrs. Stoddard in the work of teaching and 
looking after the hundreds of young people outside of their 
own home. No one less patient would have given up so much 
of the companionship which was so dear to him. We have 
much for which to thank him. He robbed himself that we 
might benefit by his sacrifice. The alumni association, recog- 
nizing the great work which Dr. Stoddard has done for the 
College, had a fine portrait painted of him, which was unveiled 
upon the golden-wedding occasion. The elaborateness of this 
celebration was a surprise, and most happily managed by 
friends and neighbors. The house was decorated, as " a few 
friends might call," and made beautiful with yellow flowers 
of all kinds. Golden-rod, asters, and roses graced chimney- 
breast and bookcases. In the middle of the afternoon the 
" friends" began to arrive, and until late in the evening the 
house and grounds were thronged. At half-past seven o'clock 
the crowning event took place, under a bower decorated with 
flowers and bunting. The bride and groom of half a century 
ago were once more the principals in an interesting scene. Dr. 
Arthur Chaflee, the president of the College, stepped before 
the happy pair, and with tender and fitting words recalled to 
their minds that other wedding-day of so many years ago, 
and concluded by handing Mr. Stoddard a broad gold ring, 
engraved with the years " 1 847-1 897, from the Alumni." Dr. 
Stoddard slipped the ring upon the finger of his bride, who 



42 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

stood modestly beside him holding a bouquet of fifty yellow 
roses. It was an unique and charming occasion. Immedi- 
ately after the ceremony the portrait of Dr. Stoddard was 
unveiled. This was a surprise to the happy couple. It was 
painted by a clever artist, who made his sketches surrep- 
titiously without arousing suspicion. This portrait will hang 
in the college chapel as a companion piece to Mrs. Stoddard's, 
which has hung there for several years. 

Many interesting incidents occurred during this festal even- 
ing. Mrs. Ryan (Ella Stoddard) produced her father's wed- 
ding-coat, which had weathered all climes, and had done duty 
on many occasions. A joyous spirit prevailed. Captain Cox's 
band played enlivening music. Choice viands prepared by the 
deft hands of those same good neighbors who made the whole 
affair such a success were " discussed." The lively quip and 
jest passed round, and "all went merry as a marriage-bell." 
Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard hold the love and respect of this fine 
old Holland community, with its sprinkling of Americans, to 
an exalted degree; they have earned richly this distinction. 
May many more wedding anniversaries be theirs to celebrate. 
May their last years be their best and happiest, and the ones 
of their greatest triumph and rejoicing. They stand in the 
full light of the setting sun, their sky is serene, their ministra- 
tions having almost circled the globe, from free America to the 
golden sands of India. Their work has been well done, and 
the results of their labors will endure for all time. 

Thus in peace and dignity has our dear Mrs. Stoddard, our 
guide, our loving friend, our inspiration, and our mentor, come 
to her seventy-eighth year. The river of life is dotted with 
the barks she has set sailing on its broad bosom, and the glow 
of their lights illumines many a dark turn in the channel. 
Time cannot obliterate the record of her useful life, and her 
benign influence will be felt forever, for she has put her con- 
science into every piece of her handiwork. Here we leave 
her, our truest and best of friends, with an unbroken family 
circle surrounding her, in the mellow richness of her maturity. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 43 

Dropping upon her kind lips the kiss of love, we foretell for 
her undying remembrance, and a lasting fame as a true " sculp- 
tress of minds and souls." 

LETTERS FROM OLD FRIENDS 

" Should auld acquaintance be forgot ? " 

Des Moines, Iowa. 
Mrs. Anna H. Clarkson. 

My dear Friend and Pupil .- Your kind letter is before me, and I pro- 
ceed at once to give some incidents, as I recall them, in regard to Mrs. 
Stoddard. 

She came to Pella in the early summer of 1858. Dr. Gunn had pro- 
posed her name as principal of the Ladies' Department of the school, to 
which position she was elected, beginning her work in September of 
that year. This was a happy hit for the young college, and a most judi- 
cious selection. A woman of profound scholarship and wide reading, of 
such ripe experience in teaching, and of such tact and common sense in 
the management of young ladies, was a rare gem at that early date in 
the Iowa educational work. 

Mrs. Stoddard was also of such commanding presence that she had no 
occasion to reprove a student ; a look would wilt the most daring into 
graceful submission. 

From the coming of Mrs. Stoddard in 1858 to 1861 the College had its 
largest patronage, aggregating more than three hundred students each year. 

The first class, of three young men, was graduated in i860. In 1861 
and 1862 the school was completely decimated. One hundred and 
twenty of our young men enlisted in the army. Every young man, of 
sufficient age to bear arms, went to the front except two — -one had lost 
an arm and the other had a withered hand. Professor Currier enlisted 
with the boys, and President Gunn left the school and took charge of a 
Baptist church in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. This left Mrs. Stoddard and 
myself alone in the college work. Our pupils were a number of young 
ladies and a few lads, too young for army life. 

During the years from 1861 to 1865 Mrs. Stoddard and myself held 
school alone. These were trying times ; few women would or could have 
endured the privations, sacrifices and hardships that Mrs. Stoddard under- 
went for the sake of "Old Central." Not the least of these was the fact 
that her schoolroom was half finished, with a single pine floor, two coats 
of plastering on the walls, with unfinished rooms above and below, and 
the woodwork only primed. The exposure to cold during these Iowa win- 
ters, was probably one of the causes of her catarrhal affections and subse- 



44 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

quent deafness during all these years. It is also in place here to state 
that the compensation for these services was small beyond all computa- 
tion ; many terms of school during the war period the cash tuitions were 
scarcely equal to the running expenses of the school. 

Perhaps during all these years half of the students were unable to pay 
their tuitions before the close of the term, but no student was ever turned 
away because of inability to pay at the beginning. Some could not pay 
until the father or brother sent them money from the army. Others must 
earn the money by teaching school, some time in the future. At the close 
of each term of study Mrs. Stoddard and I would divide the unpaid 
tuition between us, and wait until the stipulated time for payment. It is 
very pleasant to remember that of all thus trusted to the student's honor 
to pay but little was lost. 

Now do any ask why a woman of such gifts and acquired abilities 
should be thus exposed and sacrificed to the perils of climate, with but 
little reward for her valuable services ? The answer is found in the fact 
that Mrs. Stoddard is one of the few women who do not expect the reward 
of her labors in this world all in dollars and cents, but in the little rills of 
influence that she may start flowing, widening and deepening as they go 
on forever. 

In 1866 Mrs. Stoddard felt it her duty to return with her husband to 
India, and accordingly severed her connections with the College. It was 
a sorrowful day for the school, and though no one could forbid her go- 
ing, we felt that the College had lost a dear and most devoted friend. 
After an absence of four years (I may be mistaken in dates), she again 
returned to this country, and after a time took her position in the school- 
room and classroom for several years more of effective service in the Col- 
lege. She remained until her infirmity seemed to compel her resignation. 

E. H. SCARFF. 

Ex-President of I. C. U. 

Fort Scott, Kansas. 
I am very glad to know that you are compiling a book which will give 
the prominent incidents connected with the life of Mrs. Stoddard. I am 
sure you will find material for a most interesting and instructive work. I 
have always regarded her as one of the most remarkable characters with 
whom it has been my good fortune to be associated in my life-work. So 
much of simplicity, practical good sense, and true devotion to God and 
humanity are not often found centring in one person. 

Elihu Gunn, 
First President of I. C. U. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 45 

Pella, Iowa. 

In examining the motives which determine people's action, one will be 
surprised to find how few are actuated by anything higher than self-inter- 
est, and who can prevail upon themselves to surrender a modicum of per- 
sonal enjoyment for the purpose of promoting the happiness of their fellow 
mortals. 

While the love of self accomplishes much that is great in this world, 
all that is good in it is brought about by the love of one's neighbors, and 
as much as that which is good surpasses in excellence that which is 
great, so much the limited class of those who are capable of self-sacrifice 
must be considered as superior to the numerous number of ego- 
tists. 

One of those of whom it may be said that they left the world better by 
having lived in it is Mrs. D. C. A. Stoddard. Although she may be 
unknown to fame, she is appreciated, in the quiet circle in which she has 
moved, for her many acts of disinterested benevolence. 

In association with her worthy husband. Rev. I. J. Stoddarft, she gave 
the best years of her life to the cause of the Divine Master, and walking in 
His footsteps, she tried to rescue from darkness and eternal death, perish- 
ing humanity under the scorching sun of East India. 

When she returned to her native land, broken in health but not in 
spirit, she continued the good work at home, and gave not only all of her 
energy, but also largely of her worldly means, for the establishment of a 
school which was to become one of the beacons on the way to salvation. 
Indeed it may be said without exaggeration, that the "Central University 
of Iowa," if it had been deprived of the moral and substantial support of 
Mrs. Stoddard, could hardly have weathered the storms which it was 
destined to encounter. 

Not only as a patron, but also as a teacher, for many years Mrs. Stod- 
dard gave her support to the institution which she assisted in founding 
and sustaining. Numerous representations of the gentler sex, now loving 
mothers of happy families or guides of the rising generation, owe to her 
example and precepts the principles which lead to peace and happiness, 
and hold in grateful remembrance the associations with one whom they 
revere as a monitor and friend. 

The writer, who has known Mrs. Stoddard while she was connected 
with the " Central University of Iowa " and for years after she had retired 
from active participation in the labors in the institution, takes pleasure in 
bringing to her this tribute of genuine appreciation. 

John Nollen. 



46 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Iowa City, Iowa. 
My dear Mrs. Clarkson : 

I am glad you have undertaken to put in permanent form, some me- 
morial of the life and services of Mrs. D. C. A. Stoddard, and most cheer- 
fully contribute my little block. 

Mrs. Stoddard came to the College directly from the mission-field, and 
took up and carried on her vi^ork there in the true missionary spirit. 

The labor was abundant and hard, her rooms uncomfortable and 
poorly furnished, the appliances for teaching meagre, and her pay depend- 
ent on tuition and very scanty. 

It is no exaggeration to say that she was remarkably successful in her 
instruction, both in the narrower and in the wider sense. She had the 
faculty of making the observant points clear and the dryest details full of 
interest. She was skillful in making her pupils think for themselves, and 
in helping them to see the matter in its fullest meaning and in its widest 
revelations. 

She never felt that the classroom bounded her duty and her privileges as 
a teacher. She carried her pupils on her heart, and sought to reach them 
in every possible way and to influence them for good at every point of 
contact. She would train them in conduct and manners, in things small 
as well as great. Of course, she was admired and esteemed and loved by 
those she served, who will feel her influence as long as they live. 

From the first, her heart was set upon the College, and her sacrifices 
for it, and those of her devoted husband, were large and constant during all 
its darkest days. She never tired of talking about it, of planning for it 
and praying for it. During the war her letters to me were full of it, and 
in the years since she has ceased to be a member of its faculty, by reason 
of disability gained in its service, she has manifested an unflagging inter- 
est in its welfare. 

In my mind, the strongest reason for the conviction that the College 
will live and flourish, is the unselfish sacrifice and love and faith of a few 
such friends as Mr. and Mrs. Stoddard. May their days be long on the 
earth. 

Amos N. Currier. 

Pella, Iowa. 

I can never do justice to the subject before me. No one could ever be 
satisfied with anything they could say in honor of Mrs. Stoddard. 

For over forty years I have known her well. My children were edu- 
cated under her influence and our home life has been enriched by her 
society. I have always admired her as an instructor, a woman, and a 
friend. She is without a peer, in my knowledge, as a leader of the young. 





.'.«r,;- -,-.-«<„;r,T",: 








GROUP ONE. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 47 

and the good she has been able to do in this community and in the far 
East can never be computed. A good wife, a good mother, a Christian 
and philanthropist, her character is so perfectly rounded and finely sus- 
tained that it commands the respect and admiration of all who know 
her. 

May she long be spared to the friends she has gathered about her, and 
may all her days be days of peace ! 

John G. Howell, 



48 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 



CHAPTER II 

DR. IRA JOY STODDARD 

Without a sketch of the life of Dr. Stoddard this little 
book would be very incomplete. The head and front of his 
family, the strong religious and guiding force in his domestic 
circle, a light of consistency and Christianity, he lives to-day 
beloved by every man, woman, and child in the community in 
which for so many years he has made his home. Going as an 
invalid to the dry interior in the State of Iowa, it was several 
years before he gathered strength enough to attend regularly 
to business. As his health improved he became active in the 
work of the Church and the College. We used to say, " Dr. 
Stoddard really acts as if he felt lonesome without his heathen 
mission," he was so restless and anxious for something to do. 
We were able to furnish him with a little employment, for 
many of us needed making over into more certain and relia- 
ble Christian characters; but he seemed to long for the great 
work to which he had given himself in Assam. 

Dr. Stoddard's life has been full of interesting labor, and 
the old friends and students will be glad to have something 
definite in the way of dates and details concerning it. 

He was born in Eden, Erie County, New York, in 1820. Being 
one of a family of nine children, having five brothers and three 
sisters, he early learned that unselfishness and sweetness of 
character for which he has always been noted. His father and 
mother were reared in Vermont, and moved to New York, 
four hundred miles away, travelling on horseback, and settled 
near the city of Buffalo in 18 19. They were Baptists, and their 
children were well grounded in that faith. Ira Childs Stoddard, 
the father, was a minister of the Gospel, and preached for fifty- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 49 

seven years, being eighty-four when he delivered his last ser- 
mon. He lived two years after that time, then passed away 
to his reward. The mother, Charlotte Joy Stoddard, lived to 
be ninety-one years of age, and died in 1886. She was a 
gifted woman, strong in the Christian faith ; a model mother 
and home-keeper, loved and reverenced by all. 

Dr. Stoddard lived on a farm until he was about nineteen, 
attending the country school in the neighborhood with his 
brothers and sisters. His father was a philanthropist, and 
held a free evening school at his home, for the benefit of the 
young people who wanted to advance farther than the district 
school carried them. Young Ira Joy was sent from home at 
nineteen to fit for college; and went through his college course 
at Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, graduating in 
1845. In 1847 h^ was graduated at the Theological Seminary of 
the same college; and was ordained a minister of the Gospel in 
September of that year. In the same year, after marrying 
Drusilla Allen, he sailed from Boston for Calcutta, under the 
appointment of the American Baptist Missionary Union. He 
was sent to the Nowgong Orphan Institute, at Nowgong, 
Assam, India. This school was filled with Hindu and Moham- 
medan boys and girls, numbering, after the Stoddards had been 
there a little while, about seventy. Here they trained and 
educated these young people in Christian ways and faith to 
become teachers, assistants, and missionaries. This was a par- 
ticularly interesting field; not one man in a thousand could 
read, and not a single woman in Assam knew her letters until 
taught them by the missionaries. 

Ten years Mr. and Mrs. Stoddard held to their work, teach- 
ing and preaching, caring for the sick and needy among their 
charges, both spiritually and temporally. The deadly climate 
told upon them, and so debilitated them with its noxious 
vapors and malaria, that they were obliged to return to Amer- 
ica. When they arrived physicians pronounced New York 
an unsuitable place for their convalescence, and advised them 
to go to Iowa. I have often wondered how our little col- 
4 



50 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

lege would have lived if Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard in their 
weakness had not been sent there to be its strength. Some- 
times in our hours of utter helplessness we are of the most 
benefit to the world, and our missions not infrequently begin 
when we feel that our days have been spent. A seemingly 
bad turn may often serve a good purpose. That it was a mis- 
fortune to the Assamese to lose such friends, their sorrowing 
wails and tears over their loss and the interruption of their 
work testified. That it was a great blessing to the college in 
the little hamlet on the prairies can be doubted by no one who 
has seen the fruits of their labors there. 

The climate of Iowa restored Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard to 
health. The doctor began to drive over the prairies in his 
light buggy, stopping here and there to tell the story of the 
Cross, to recount his experiences in India, and to sow the 
seed of missionary interest. Doing good everywhere at all 
times, he won for himself a place in the hearts and affections 
of the people among whom he visited. In 1861 he attempted 
to serve his country in the field, and to do his part in bringing 
the Civil War to an end. Having enlisted at Knoxville, Iowa, 
he was rejected by the surgeon's examination, as his health had 
been too much impaired by his years of ill health in Assam. 
Failing in this, he next took up the work of helping to clear 
the college indebtedness. This indebtedness was swept away 
in 1865 ; the campus was fenced, walks were laid out and trees 
planted on it; we then felt on the high road to prosperity. 
Every Baptist brother shook his neighbor's hand and smiled, 
and the light in his face said plainly, " How happy we are, 
and how our school will flourish and grow!" With such a 
combination as was effected by Dr. Scarff, Mrs. Stoddard, and 
Professor Currier, with Dr. Stoddard in the financial field, suc- 
cess seemed assured. This was even better than President 
Garfield's idea of a college. He said: " If I should sit on one 
end of a log, and Mark Hopkins on the other, I would call 
that a good college." So with this presiding force, we felt 
that we had indeed something of which to be proud and con- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 51 

fident. Alas, for the hopes and plans of the future ! Dr. and 
Mrs. Stoddard, feeling that the College was now well on its 
feet, and their own health in a measure regained, once more 
turned their faces toward the rising sun, and left in 1866 for 
India. The grief felt by the little community was touching, 
and it was a hard dispensation. They were sent this time to 
the Garos, a wild and utterly savage tribe in southwest Assam. 
They were the first missionaries to go to this people. The 
tribe proper lived in the hills, and were not subject to British 
rule. At the base of the hills were many tribes of less savage 
Garos, on English territory, where the missionaries might go 
in safety, but they were not able to go into Garoland proper. 
During the first five years over five hundred of the savages 
were converted and baptized ; many churches were formed, 
and many chapels and school-houses were built by the people 
who had so lately been in the deepest moral darkness. Since 
Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard undertook the work among the Garos, 
thirty-three years ago, over five thousand have been converted 
to the Christian faith, and houses of worship and education are 
dotted all over the hills. The independent territory, where no 
missionary was then allowed to go, is now so safe that ladies, 
alone, can travel through it with perfect security, tenting out, 
preaching, and teaching anywhere with comfort, and without 
the slightest fear of harm. The Christian ray lit up the gloom, 
and now it is full of light and the civilization of the Gospel. 
Since the missionaries have the freedom of the hills, they can 
endure the climate better, as in the mountains there is less 
fever and malaria. Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard were obliged to 
live at the foot of the hills, and were again driven from their 
post by the deadly fever, which almost completed the work it 
had begun years before when they were first exposed to the 
vicissitudes of the climate. 

Having returned to Iowa, and breathed again its pure air, 
and basked in its anti-malarial sunshine, they again regained 
their health. But so wedded were they to their mission in the 
foreign field that in 1881 they tried once more, and for the 



52 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

third time, to return to India, and came as far as New York 
in that attempt. Here the Examining Board decided against 
them, saying their strength, impaired as it was by the ravages 
of the Asiatic fever, would not hold out for another term of 
service. Disappointed and heavy with grief, they were obliged 
to turn back, and for all time give up what seemed to them the 
most glorious of all works — the teaching of the benighted and 
the conveying of the Healing Word into the remotest land. 
They returned to Iowa, where they have made their home ; and 
there they will probably end their days. 

When people are filled with the missionary spirit and have 
entered into that life and fitted themselves for the labor, by 
learning the languages and customs of a country, the time 
never comes when they are ready to leave a field of so much 
usefulness and interest. 

For a long time Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard could not speak 
without tears of this cruel disappointment, and even yet they 
grieve that they cannot be doing good in the way in which 
they feel they could accomplish the most. Dr. Stoddard is 
so active and energetic that it is impossible for him to exist 
without occupation. He has given nearly all of his time, and 
a great deal of his property, to the College, There is now 
being erected a Memorial Hall, including a chapel, gymna- 
sium, etc., upon a superb site adjoining his homestead, and 
presented by Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard to the College for this 
purpose. He preaches and talks on missions whenever the 
opportunity offers, and keeps in touch with all of the interests 
of the community. A strong Republican, he is intensely in- 
terested in politics. Now seventy-nine years old, but looking 
nearer sixty, he is, although not in rugged health, full of life 
and animation, and by heart and soul allied to all good works. 
A factotum among the students and citizens, he is a loved 
friend to all who have the privilege of his acquaintance. Dr. 
Stoddard is, in high degree, intellectual, a fitting mate for a 
woman so richly endowed as his distinguished wife. Con- 
stantly keeping abreast of the times, he finds the greatest 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 33 

enjoyment in well-informed society, and with his ripe mind 
he is an addition to any coterie. Free from confining occupa- 
tion, Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard make long visits to the homes 
of their children, who are blessed in having parents into whose 
lives so much interesting history is woven. Central Univer- 
sity owes Dr. Stoddard a debt which it can never pay. The 
love of all connected with it will always follow him, and their 
benisons rest on him forever. 



54 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 



CHAPTER III 

DR. EMMANUEL H. SCARFF, SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE 

UNIVERSITY 

Dr. Scarff, one of the truest men I ever knew, with a 
character shining with Christian graces, went to teach in the 
college in Pella in 1854. Previous to that time he had held 
the pastorate in the Baptist Church at Delphi, Indiana. Being 
afflicted with a type of malaria, he found it necessary to seek 
a climate better suited to his needs. He opened correspond- 
ence with Rev. Edward O, Towne, of Pella, who presented his 
name to the College Board as a suitable man for principal of 
the new school, which was soon to open. He was elected to 
this position, and started for the little town, which had been 
the refuge of so many invalids, and has, with its simple ways 
of living and dry air, put so many sufferers on the road to 
health and recovery. Reaching there September 15th, he was 
prepared to open school immediately, as it had been announced 
that it would begin its sessions the following week. What was 
his astonishment to find that no rooms had been engaged, and 
that the school furniture was still growing on the rich bottom 
lands of the Des Moines River. The outlook was forbidding 
and blank enough. There was not at that time a foot of com- 
pleted railroad in Iowa. In those days they could not tele- 
graph to Chicago for supplies and have them delivered the 
following day. Passengers rolled into Iowa in the old four- 
horse stage, or in private conveyances, and freight came in 
wagons hauled by mules from the Mississippi River. By the 
time goods which had been ordered arrived, the merchants had 
almost forgotten for what they had sent. So there was no 
hope of supplying school-room fittings from Eastern markets. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 55 

The man who had the courage to go West in those early days 
had enough resourceful energy to pull through almost any 
tight place. Dr. Scarff and the Board at once went to work; 
rooms were secured, trees were cut down and drawn to the 
mills, carpenters began to fashion seats and desks ; and in just 
four weeks everything was completed, and Dr. Scarff opened 
the school with about forty scholars. 

The rooms were neat and well furnished, and were used for 
the school exercises and Sabbath-day services. They were at 
the west end of Washington Street. The largest room was 
eighteen by thirty-four feet, and was used for the general class 
work ; the two smaller rooms for recitations. The school was 
held there for two years. The first teachers with Dr. Scarff 
were Caleb Caldwell, a graduate of Ohio College, and Miss 
Julia Tolman, a graduate of the institution at Monticello, 
Illinois. 

In the autumn of 1856 they moved to the east end of the 
third floor of the college building. No other part of the build- 
ing was finished, if finished it could be called, except the 
Chapel. At this time Dr. Scarff was Principal of the College 
and pastor of the Baptist church. In 1857 he resigned his 
place as Principal that he might devote more time to the 
church and to the restoration of his health, which was still 
uncertain. Just at that time Professor Currier, who was visit- 
ing with his uncle in Iowa, was engaged to take the vacant 
place. At the general Board meeting he was given the chair 
of Latin. At the same meeting Rev. Joseph K. Hornish 
settled upon the College an endowment of ten thousand dol- 
lars, with the provision that Rev. Elihu H. Gunn be first 
called to the Presidency of the College. Inopportunely the 
great financial panic of 1857 swept over the country. It was 
impossible to realize anything on this promised capital. So 
the first President of the College soon found himself without a 
salary. 

The splendid old bell, which is responsible for many ruined 
naps, was raised to the tower at this same meeting, with appro- 



56 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

priate ceremonies. At that time it was far and away the best 
bell in central Iowa, and even now not many have surpassed 
it, although it has been sounding its chimes for forty-two years. 
In 1858 Dr. Scarff resigned his pastorate (Rev. Dr. Gunn tak- 
ing charge of the church), while he resumed the duties of the 
school-room in 1859. 

Mrs. Stoddard was then at the head of the Ladies' Depart- 
ment. 

The new School now began to experience very hard times. 
There being no railroads in the State, farm products had to 
be hauled to the Mississippi River, and goods and groceries 
brought back in return. The " wildcat" money was a delu- 
sion and a snare to the unwary farmers and merchants who 
held a little of it in their wallets. Before the next daybreak 
its whole value might consist in its inflammable qualities for 
lighting a pipe. The best pork was worth in Pella one dollar 
and a quarter a hundred; wheat was twenty-five cents, and 
corn was ten cents a bushel ; the best butter five cents a 
pound, and eggs two cents a dozen. These were cash values ; 
barter and trade bargains were a little better. Schools sus- 
tained by tuition fees alone, of course had to suffer in this 
state of affairs ; but in this time of trial, the brave little College 
held its own, and gathered in new pupils each term. 

When all the young men which the College could muster went 
into the army, the new institution almost went to pieces. The 
older girls were kept at home to help on the farms, and take 
the places made vacant by their fathers and brothers. Pro- 
fessor Currier enlisted during the vacation of 1861, leaving Dr. 
Scarff and Mrs. Stoddard alone in charge of the School. There 
were still a number of young ladies taking the regular course, 
and a few boys in the Preparatory Department. In Dr. Scarff's 
words in the Central Ray of May, 1892: " The teaching force 
was reduced to Mrs. Stoddard and the writer. Instead of 
classes representing all grades, there were a few boys in ele- 
mentary Latin. Had not these been supplemented by such 
young ladies as the Wellses, the Sumners, the Paytons, the 





^ 








■«fc^ 



GROUP TWO. 




AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 57 

Squires, the Barkers, and the Howells, our hearts must have 
fainted at the prospect." 

Upon the resignation of Dr. Gunn, who resigned the church 
pastorate also, Dr. Scarff again became acting president of the 
College and pastor of the church. The income from both 
sources was less than four hundred dollars a year, and that was 
not all cash. Fortunately Dr. Scarff was able, in a measure, 
to supplement that amount by private resources, but it de- 
pleted his exchequer most woefully. In telling of these things 
Dr. Scarff's manner is so cheerful that one would think that 
all of this time he had been drawing more money from the Col- 
lege treasury than he could manage to dispose of. In spite of 
this stringency which affected them all, neither he nor Mrs. 
Stoddard nor Professor Currier seem to regret havkfig made 
these sacrifices, and declare that they were blest in so doing, 
and that they would make them again if necessary. 

When the war closed, the school filled up encouragingly. 
Many young men came back to finish their interrupted courses, 
and many new pupils were entered. The brighter prospects in 
the country carried hope and courage to every one ; and hard 
as times were, a large percentage of the youth of the State 
embraced the opportunity offered for education. In 1866 Dr. 
Scarff and Professor Currier, who had returned to his work in 
the School, were left alone by the resignation of Mrs. Stod- 
dard, who once more felt it her duty to engage in the mission 
work in India. In 1867 Professor Currier accepted a position 
as professor of Greek and Latin in the Iowa State University. 
The Board was not able to fill the places of these two efiticient 
teachers, so by their loss the School suffered severely. Dr. 
Scarff remained at the head of affairs, and several new teach- 
ers were engaged. The double labor as president and pastor 
proved too heavy for one so slender in strength as Dr. Scarff, 
and he failed in health gradually. The coming of Dr. Dunn, 
who was installed as president in 1872, relieved him of much 
of his work, but it was too late for him to regain his former 
vigor. He remained in the School until 1878, when, failing in 



58 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

speech, he was obliged to resign. This carried sorrow to all, 
both student and patron. If it had been possible for him to 
continue his work in comfort, his resignation would not have 
been accepted. He yet fills an emeritus position in the faculty. 
In the loved and reverenced teacher's own words, " I have no 
regrets for having attempted the labor of two men ; the work 
'seemed to be laid to my hands, and what could I do but try 
to encompass it ? " 

Thus passed away from active life one of the most devoted 
and efificient friends of the College, who assisted in organizing 
the school, and in gaining for it a place of record and an influ- 
ence which gave it a position of creditable rank among the 
educational institutions of the State. His devotion brought 
good results, as the hundreds of men and women trained under 
his tutelage in those twenty-four years of service will testify. 
Dr. Scarff's calm, dignified exercise of power, never forcing, 
but always leading and guiding, left a most exalted and lasting 
influence. He has always seemed to me the exemplification 
of everything that is fine and high-minded. In character a 
Puritan, in manner a gentleman, in friendship as true as truth 
itself, he has ever been a model of perfect manhood. Hand- 
somer by far than most men, with a mien imposing yet gentle, 
he left an impression on his friends and pupils that could have 
been left by no ordinary man. 

Now patiently and sweetly biding his time, held in the arms 
of a friendly invalid chair, he still sheds a radiance of Christian 
patience and fortitude. His letters are cheerful and utterly 
devoid of complaint. It has been long years since he has 
walked or his lips have framed a word, but he is constantly 
preaching a sermon of the greatest eloquence and power. 
To the writer his friendship has always been a cherished and 
prized belonging. Having been associated with him closely 
not only in the class-room, but in personal friendship, and 
he having ofificiated at the crowning event of her life, joining 
her hands in wedlock with those of her heart's ideal, it is 
not strange that about him should linger a sentiment more 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 59 

than usually tender and lasting. It is his good fortune to be 
surrounded by a loving family who consider it a sweet privi- 
lege to minister to his every need. He is now seventy-seven 
years old. Upheld in his work through all these years of col- 
lege labor by his excellent wife, he is now the sun about which 
her daily course revolves. Mrs. ScarfT has been to this noble 
man more than it is often the privilege of a wife to be. I look 
with wonder on her ability in sustaining her admirable cheer- 
fulness and elasticity. From the very first she has been every- 
thing a helpmeet should be: active, energetic, full of resource, 
skilful in management, quick in sympathy, and cordial in friend- 
ship. She was the life and moving spirit in the church and 
home. Conducting her own household affairs with ease, she 
was always ready to help in any good cause. My ^rst re- 
membrance of her was during the war. The soldier and his 
interests were uppermost in the minds of this little commu- 
nity. There were few houses that had not a representative in 
the field. Mother Bousquet, one of the sweetest women that 
ever lived, who had almost emptied her quiver of sons in the 
interest of her adopted country, was the president of the Pella 
branch of the Sanitary Commission. My own dear mother 
Howell was treasurer, and Mrs. Scarff secretary. These de- 
voted women planned in every way to alleviate the suffering 
among the soldiers. They were ably aided in their work by 
Mother Boekenoogan, Mrs. Vierson, Mrs. Banner Bowen, the 
several Mrs. Keables, both of the Mrs. Cory, Mrs. Morgan, 
Mrs. Liter, Mrs. Towne, Mother Jenkins, Barbara Stuart, Mrs. 
Elliott, Mrs. Henry Shull, Sallie Clark, Mrs. Stallard, Mother 
Sperry, Mother Aikins, Mrs. Weiser, Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Down- 
ing, Mrs. Parrish, Mrs. Whipple, Mrs. Clarke, Mrs. Clutter, 
Mrs. Hamilton, and every loyal lad and lassie who attended 
the University. The "lint-scrapings" and " Havelock " sew- 
ings were held in turn at the homes of the " sisters." I might 
say they alternated with the prayer meetings ; for this was a 
religious association of workers who believed in the efificacy of 
prayer, and who met once a week to pour out their petitions 



6o A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

for the safe return of the boys in " service," and the ultimate 
preservation of the Union. 

How well do I remember, when the times were dark and 
blood flowed like water, these dear sisters calling their little 
band together, kneeling and offering silent prayer with hearts 
so full that no one present could utter a sound ! I have seen 
them shake hands and go to their homes with tears streaming 
down their cheeks, without a word of farewell. 

Usually the " lint-pickings" were happy affairs among the 
young people. They meant a rendezvous about a cheerful 
fireside, with apples, doughnuts, taffy, and popcorn after the 
work was done, and no little philandering among the men and 
the maidens. Occasionally a soldier would come home " on 
leave." The way that hero was lionized was enough to turn 
his head. The girls almost fought for the pleasure of being 
escorted by him, though it was a silent battle, and one in 
which no girl would be willing to own that she bore a part. 
This is my first chance to tell tales out of school, and I am 
willing to acknowledge having been one of these combatants. 
All this is a deviation for which I trust I may be excused. It 
does no harm to awaken slumbering memories, and to rekindle 
the sentiments which have been the most tender of our lives. 
The fault of our time is not dreaminess and retrospection, but 
a cold, hard realism which buries the gentler impulses and 
softer memories out of sight and mind. May Dr. and Mrs. 
Scarff, who have called out these sentiments, find in their 
days of quiet and retirement a recompense for all their years 
of devotion and sacrifice, resting in the full knowledge that 
they are appreciated, loved, and cherished in the hearts of the 
community where so many years of their lives have been 
passed. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 6l 



CHAPTER IV 

DR. AMOS N. CURRIER 

A man who has left such a lasting impression on a commu- 
nity as has Dr. Amos N. Currier upon the college town of Pella, 
must have some " live forever " qualities about him which it is 
not given many people in this world to possess. I have often 
tried to find just what was the " strong tie that binds" in this 
particular instance, and I have come to the conclusio* that it 
was absolute integrity of purpose and faithfulness to friend- 
ships which have attached him so tenderly to the people who 
have known and tried these qualities for over forty years. He 
and the old bell in the College tower commenced their work at 
Central University at the same time, and the strokes of both 
have always rung true. 

There was never a man in college life who did, or was capa- 
ble of doing, more actual, perceptible good. His was just the 
sort of an intellectuality which was needed among the young 
men of this particular School. Keen, alert, full of instinct and 
perception, he gave them an idea of the importance of training 
the mind to do its best work, that few men are capable of 
giving. I have never seen any one more alive to the question 
in hand than this skilful instructor, who could fill with am- 
bition and interest the slowest and dullest pupil who came 
under his jurisdiction. Never tiring, never ill, never himself 
lacking in interest, his class-room was a study of primary and 
reflex mental action, which it is stirring even now to remem- 
ber. He brought into his work the thoroughgoing ways of 
New England, which ordered that no weeds be allowed to 
grow on good soil, and every capacity be trained to its utmost 
limit. There is no place like "Yankee Land" to learn all 



62 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

kinds of thrift, intellectual as well as domestic. Where the 
mountain farm is harrowed clear of every stone or bramble, 
where a fertile acre of land has to be rescued from under an 
acre of granite, the mind must learn to work skilfully ; and care- 
ful husbandry is a necessity. A Congressional wit has said 
that the soil of New England was so poor that there was danger 
of their not being able to have a resurrection day without fer- 
tilization. That should be arranged in some way, however, 
for if some of those dear old Puritans are not called upon to 
respond at the final call, the staunchest, most uncompromising 
Christians of the world will not be represented. The topog- 
raphy of a section leaves a strong mark upon the character. 
It does not take long to tell whether a man comes from the 
calculating, trained, and scientific corner of our nation, or from 
the broader, more expansive, and more generous plains of the 
great interior. 

Professor Currier was born in Canaan, New Hampshire, Oc- 
tober 13, 1832. His education was thorough ; his attainments are 
scholarly. He was trained at Kimball Union Academy, and 
entered Dartmouth College, from which he was graduated in 
July, 1856. In January, 1857, ^^ went to La Motte, Iowa (near 
Dubuque), to visit his uncle, the Rev. Joshua Currier. While 
there he met the Rev. Obed Sperry, who was the agent of the 
Pella College at that time, and was by him engaged to take the 
place made vacant by Dr. Scarff's resignation. He agreed to 
pay him twenty dollars a month and furnish his board. Pro- 
fessor Currier taught continuously at Central University until 
June, 1861, when he enlisted in the " service," where he served 
his country faithfully until 1865. He was taken prisoner and 
carried to Cahaba, Alabama, and afterward to Macon, Georgia. 
While there he was fortunate enough to meet a friend who 
gave him a copy of Virgil. The story goes that while he and 
Robert Ryan were in captivity together, the studies begun in 
Central University were carried on with vigor in this undesira- 
ble school-room. 

At the close of the war Professor Currier returned to the 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 63 

College, taking up his work as if nothing had interrupted it. 
He came home to find the college $12,000 in debt. Here I 
will let Dr. Scarff tell how they cleared it from this encum- 
brance. " We were completely swamped. Stoddard, Currier, 
and myself, after much consultation, formed a plan to raise 
the indebtedness, provided the members of the Board would 
let us take the matter in our own hands. They consented. 
At the Board meeting in 1866 we had the pleasure of showing 
that the College debt was entirely wiped out. Dr. Stoddard 
was our agent, and canvassed the State, travelling five thou- 
sand miles in his buggy. Professor Currier was our secretary 
and treasurer. He was active in his planning and incessant 
in his labor. I taught in the school-room and took care of 
the church. We had our hands full of work. Without a 
' Currier ' we should have failed. He was our right-hand man." 

Thus it is seen that the good management and executive 
ability of Professor Currier were as useful to the School as was 
his incomparable instruction. Those were critical times for 
the new enterprise struggling for a place and a name, and 
more critical still for the three devoted teachers who were the 
strength of the College. I cannot at this range see how they 
managed to make both ends meet, for expenses have a way 
of going on whether there is anything to defray them or not. 
Deducting the gifts he made to the College while in Pella, in 
the way of improvements, payment of debts, etc.. Professor 
Currier received less than two thousand dollars for six years' 
service. He frequently says: " I regard that period as one of 
the most useful and happy in my career. I was young and 
strong, and full of enthusiasm, and I was brought into contact 
with some of the most excellent people of the earth, in the 
school-room and out of it. The friendships thus formed have 
always been cherished as among the best of my life." 

It takes a true philanthropist " to work for nothing and 
board himself." That was the kind of a man and friend Pro- 
fessor Currier proved himself to be. 

The fine abilities of our Latin teacher attracted the atten- 



64 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

tion of the officers of the State University at Iowa City ; and 
he accepted the position which they tendered him as professor 
of Greek and Latin there in 1867. This chair he has filled 
with honor and great ability for thirty-two years. He does 
not work " for nothing" now, or " board himself," but has a 
lovely, intellectual wife who takes much care off his hands, 
and two children, a son and a daughter, who are being put 
through the drill of " roots and conjugations" at the State 
University. 

Professor Currier had some intense friendships in the old 
days. The thought of one of them fills my eyes with tears 
as I recall the warmth and strength of it. A little fair-haired 
lad, with laughing blue eyes, and a merry tune always whist- 
ling over his lips, crept into his heart one day and made his 
home there, staying through " thick and thin," through peace 
and strife, battle and bloodshed, and on to the end. There 
was something beautiful about this friendship. What the man 
was to the boy many of you know; how he guided, instructed, 
and loved him, and how his devotion was repaid with almost 
worship, the entire Pella community can tell. I have looked 
so many times at the data before me for this little sketch and 
essayed to begin the work; but my pencil seemed to know 
who should have written it, the one who could have done jus- 
tice to this patient, self-contained man, and would have told, 
in loving rhythm, of his goodness and pureness of heart. Thus 
publicly in this class-meeting of old friends, I want to thank 
Professor Currier for his unwavering friendship to my brother, 
Sylvester Howell, and for his generous devotion to his father- 
less family. I could scarcely say enough in gratitude to him ; 
a full heart is not soon emptied. 

My brother Sylvester was not the only youth who formed a 
deep attachment for Professor Currier. Were I to open these 
pages to all who would wish to speak, no two lids could hold 
the testimony. 

It must be a great happiness to a man who can see the 
" slope" behind and before him, having reached the top of 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 65 

the hill, to feel that half of the journey has not been made in 
vain ; that he has earned the friendships which will follow him 
to the valley below ; and all the way through ; that his book of 
life is full and rich, with a record of usefulness and philan- 
thropy. 

Upon the decease of Dr. Schaffer, the President of the Iowa 
State University, in 1898, Dr. Currier became, and still is, act- 
ing-President of that university. Des Moines College has con- 
ferred the degree of LL.D. on Professor Currier. The honor 
is deserved, and long may he live to sustain its dignity. 

Rahway, New Jersey. 
Mrs. Anna H. Clarkson. 

Dear Schoolmate and Friend of "Auld Lang Syne": I will try and 
accede to your request. It is a pleasure to do so. Like Longfellow's 
humbler poet, 

" Who through long days of labor and nights devoid of ease, 
I still feel in my soul the music of wonderful melodies," 

when the golden key of memory unlocks the house of my youth. My first 
remembrance of Professor Currier is in connection with his model of cube 
root. I thought it a symbol of a mysterious study, and the man or woman 
who could teach such a study had wisdom like the astrologers of old. 

Next I see, in the northwest room in the third story of the College, Pro- 
fessor Currier sitting at his table, surrounded by thirty or more scholars, 
all deeply interested in "Stoddard's Mental Arithmetic." 

Every one recited at least once a day, but no one knew when his or her 
turn would come. 

I was the baby in the class, as I was only ten. The drill and the atten- 
tion paid to the lesson throughout the three-quarters of an hour was the 
corner-stone of all the arithmetic I afterward learned. I have always 
been able to carry small problems in my head and work them out without 
aid of pencil and paper. The credit I always give to that perfect drill in 
mental arithmetic under Professor Currier. It must have been the same 
in all the branches he taught. He was able to keep the undivided atten- 
tion of the whole class, and each one was trained to tell all he or she knew 
of the lesson. 

Professor Currier lived with us. We children often called him to meals, 
and my little sister and brother liked nothing better than to go to his room 
in the College for him. I can see them now, as they hopped and skipped 



66 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

by his side, laughing and talking and swinging his hand. His talks at the 
table, with our father and mother, on religion, history, and politics, inter- 
ested me more than anything else ; they were very solemn and exciting 
discussions in the year 1861. 

Professor Currier went to the war then and did not return to teach 
until the fall of 1865. His letters to us children from the "field" were 
full of the deepest interest. He was our kind friend and faithful guardian, 
the years our parents were in India, 

I think the great influence he exerted over the young men in College 
was greatly due to the oversight and friendly interest shown toward them 
outside of the college walls, 

" Old friend, kind friend, lightly dov/n 
Drop Time's snowflakes on thy crown, 
Never be thy shadow less, 
Never fail thy cheerfulness. 
Well, whatever lot be mine. 
Long and happy days be thine 
Ere thy full and honored age 
Dates of time its latest page." 

Affectionately, 

Bertha Stoddard Whitney. 




GROUP THREE. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 67 



CHAPTER V 

PROFESSOR CORY 

Central University, so rich in friends, can never lay claim 
to a more ardent supporter than Carlton C. Cory. For 
several years he was connected with the School as teacher of 
mathematics. During that time he was the light and life of 
the faculty. His was a temperament so buoyant and exuber- 
ant that it drove all gloom before it. His rare and rAdy wit 
enlivened every hour, and his great capacity for work made 
him a useful member of the corps of teachers. 

In the time he was with the School he demonstrated his 
peculiar fitness for teaching and interesting the young. After 
his work in the College he was, for fifteen years, the Superin- 
tendent of the Public Schools of Pella, and thus he became 
endeared to the entire community to a remarkable degree. 

A great lover of music and an accomplished vocalist, Pro- 
fessor Cory filled the schools with melody, and developed the 
love for this most desirable art. Out of school hours he was 
nearly always to be found with a coterie of friends practising 
church music, glees, and cantatas, and arranging amateur con- 
certs. Mrs. Cory was as fond of music as was the professor, 
and had a rich contralto voice which harmonized beautifully 
with his pure tenor. 

In 1886 Professor Cory was tendered the superintendency of 
the State Industrial School for Girls at Mitchellville, Iowa. He 
accepted this position, and held it until his health failed in 
January, 1897. With great honor he conducted the affairs of 
this institution, and it was a serious loss when he was obliged 
to resign. His death took place in Chicago a few weeks later, 
at the home of his daughter, Mrs. William O. Forker. 



68 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Professor Cory was born in 1829 in Holland, Vermont, and 
went West to live in the" fifties." For over thirty years he was 
a loved and respected citizen of Pella. His delightful personal- 
ity and culture made him a welcome addition to any group ; 
his fine conversational powers and fund of anecdotes would 
have been passports to any portal. As a friend he was true 
and unwavering, cordial, helpful, and ready to advise. His 
home life was beautiful and exemplary. We are all better for 
having known this brilliant man and good citizen. He taught 
a lesson of philosophy with every hour of his life. Burdens 
were lightened by his flow of spirits and unconquerable good 
humor. The hard places were made smooth, for he refused to 
be daunted by their difficulties. We remember with affection 
his many kind words and friendly ofifices, his charming person- 
ality and wonderful sweetness of character. 

Passing away in his sixty-ninth year, there remains every evi- 
dence that his life had been enriched by the blessed truths of 
the Christian religion, and that he was buoyed up, in the final 
hour, by a faith and trust in its promises. 

Loving and loved, the cheerful friend, the faithful husband 
and father, the devoted son and kind neighbor, has passed into 
the life beyond, mourned by all who knew him. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 69 



CHAPTER VI 

PROFESSOR J. B. COTTON 

Professor Cotton was the principal of the Musical Depart- 
ment of Iowa Central University from 1865 until 1883. His 
musical education was thorough and liberal, having been ob- 
tained in the Boston Academy, under the instruction of Dr. 
Lowell Mason and his able corps of instructors. Possessing a 
strong musical taste, he devoted many years of his life %o both 
study and practice. 

It was a great era for the Pella School when Professor Cotton 
took charge of its Department of Music, and started the young 
people up and down the scale in the pursuit of true melody. 
Pella has always been a music-loving community, but no one 
person has ever done so much toward elevating the standard 
of musical taste as Professor Cotton. His manner of teaching 
was most effective, and it was not many months after he took 
charge of the Department of Music before he had a fine glee 
class organized which was a pride to the College. The very 
best selections were rehearsed ; no cheap or clap-trap music 
was permitted. Many public entertainments were given, and 
the " College Glee Club " became quite a noted organization. 
Professor Cotton was also the chorister for the First Baptist 
Church, and as the choir was composed almost entirely of col- 
lege students, the improvement in church music was very 
noticeable. Miss Anna Cotton, now Mrs. Thing, of Brookline, 
Massachusetts, when a very young girl became her father's 
accompanist, and led the classes through the glees, cantatas, 
and chorus work with rare skill and patience. It was beautiful 
to see the sympathy between the fine, strong father and the 
fair, delicate girl as they went over and over difficult passages 



70 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

to make sure of correct rendition. The influence of Professor 
Cotton was the very best and purest. Courteous and well- 
bred, he at all times taught a lesson in gentleness and refine- 
ment which was invaluable to the youth with whom he came 
in contact. His years in Central University were useful ones. 
The students who attended College while he was a member of 
the faculty will always remember him with deep affection and 
gratitude. 

Professor Cotton was born in Wentworth, New Hampshire, 
December 2, 1826. His life was spent in New England until 
he went to Iowa. He now resides in Frankfort, South 
Dakota, where he removed several years ago. 






^ 









^^ * 




f 







GROUP FOUR. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 71 



CHAPTER VII 

PROFESSOR HOWELL 

Saul Sylvester Howell held for a short time the professor- 
ship of natural science in Central University. His education 
was obtained in the College in Pella, and in the Iowa State 
University in Iowa City. In his senior year in College the 
Civil War closed his course, and he served his country in 
the field until illness caused his resignation. He w^ one of 
the first to enlist after war was declared. In company with 
many of his classmates he joined the Third Iowa Regiment, 
Company B, enlisting as a private; he was promoted to the 
office of sergeant, and later to a lieutenancy. His captain was 
killed in battle, and at the same time the young lieutenant was 
stricken with fever, and applied for a discharge, which was 
granted him. 

After his return to Iowa, he completed his college course by 
taking a degree at Iowa City. He was married to Miss Rhoda 
E. Craven soon afterward, and took a professorship in the col- 
lege at Albion, Iowa. Later he became connected with the 
College in Pella, where he remained two years. The Univer- 
sity at Iowa City invited him into its ranks as assistant pro- 
fessor in Greek and Latin. This position he held for several 
years, until his health, which had been so shattered in army 
days, completely failed. He removed with his family to 
California, where he died in 1879, leaving a wife and five 
children. 

Professor Howell was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1841, 
and went to Iowa with his father after the death of his 
mother in 1855. The new home was made in Pella on 
account of the educational advantages, and the young boy 



72 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

grew to manhood in this picturesque and unique little 
city. 

The readers of this book will not require that much of his 
history be given, for it is well known to those who are inter- 
ested. With his lovable and gentle disposition, his light 
heart and great musical talent, he was a most desirable com- 
panion. A devout and active Christian, he believed that the 
sweet faith should fill life with joy and sunshine. His con- 
science was his guiding star, and his associations were of the 
best; his intellect was keen and strong, and he found the 
greatest delight in study and research. Many of the young 
men in College with Professor Howell are now filling places of 
honor in their several communities. As boys they were splen- 
did, loyal fellows, and dropped all other interests to take part 
in the War of the Rebellion. Professor Andrew F. Craven, 
who now occupies the Chair of Economics in Columbian Uni- 
versity, Washington, D. C, was one of Professor Howell's class- 
mates. Hon. Warren Olney, a distinguished member of the 
San Francisco bar; the Judges David Ryan, Robert Ryan, 
John Harvey, Hon. E. F. Sperry, Lieut. -Col. J. A. P. Hamp- 
son, Hon. Jesse Curtis, Hon. A. F. Sperry, Capt. Albert Hobbs, 
the splendid Ruckman boys, the fine, staunch Bousquet broth- 
ers, Hon. E. R. Cassatt, Hon. Henry G. Curtis, Hon. John 
St-ubenrach, Henry and Judson Ritner, and dozens of men 
of interest, were in school at the same time. The college 
attendance was large in those days before the war, and num- 
bered over three hundred and fifty students, nearly all adults. 
It was the most interesting period in the existence of the 
School, and the students to-day point with pride to the rec- 
ord for scholarship and loyalty which was made in that early 
time. 

Professor Howell was the first of the college students to 
attain to a professorship in Central University. He loved the 
school dearly, and was always true to its interests. His 
method of teaching, which was more than usually successful, 
was obtained from his instructors there. To Dr. Scarff, Mrs. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 73 

Stoddard, and Dr. Currier he felt that he owed more than he 
could ever repay, and they possessed his deepest affection and 
gratitude. 

Professor Howell was the son of Dr. John G. Howell, who 
still resides in Pella. 



74 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 



CHAPTER VIII 

IOWA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY AND HER FRIENDS 

" How far that little candle throws its beam! So shines a good deed in a naughty 
world." 

A stranger passing by the college grounds, would see a 
modest brick building with four sides, as plain as plain can 
be, without turrets or spires or other embeUishments. It is 
three stories high, to be sure, and has a cupola, a flight of 
broad stone steps in front, and three or four steps in the rear. 

The campus is as luxuriant and green as a meadow, and is 
shaded by fine, thrifty trees, scattered over its eight broad 
acres. A pleasant, inviting spot, holding out a welcome, cor- 
dial and sincere. 

When the writer strolls up the broad street in front of the 
old school grounds, she sees neither brick nor stone, but a 
building floating in air, all dewy with the softening mists of 
thirty years, gilded with memories, jewelled with thoughts, and 
sparkling with the light which glowed when everything was 
rosy and life was full of dreams. 

Every window seems to hold a group of faces, some smiling 
and some bathed in tears ; every emotion is there portrayed, 
and every shade of feeling. We are drawn into the dreamy 
picture, and well-remembered voices float out to meet us. 
Tones fall on our ear which decades ago ceased to vibrate. A 
merry laugh, a soft sigh, the voice of prayer, and sweet sing- 
ing fill the air. 

We pass into the broad hall, forgetting to murmur as the 
nail in the unfinished doorway catches our draperies, and on 
into the old chapel. That was the parade-ground on all our 




GROUP TWENTY. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 75 

"field days," and there are now all the boys and girls of long 
ago. They are just as they were of yore, full of fun or anxiety, 
as the case may have been, turning the pages for the morning 
anthem, conning the " first-hour" lesson, and laying plans for 
the day. Everything is quiet for the roll-call. A strong, 
firm voice begins, and in monotonous, regular cadence chants 
the long list: " Bousquet 1st," " Bousquet 2d," "Curtis," 
' ' Craven, " " Deweese, " " Hobbs, " " Howell, ' ' and on through 
the " Keables," " Morgans," " Ritners," " Ryans," " Ruck- 
mans," and " Sperrys." The responses " Here," " Present," 
"Aye," according to fancy, roll out in full, round tones. 
Then comes the girls' roll. Every one seems to be there. 
How can the old room hold so many ! Dr. Scarff, in his low, 
sweet voice, reads the " Law " or the " Gospel," and petitions 
for a blessing on the youth before him. He gives the " order 
of the day," and the students slowly and decorously file into 
the aisle and through the chapel door. How skilfully the httle 
" minute " meetings, between certain " twos " from the oppo- 
site sides of the chapel, are managed ; a whispered word, a 
touch of the hand, an interchange of notes, and all disperse to 
their several class-rooms. 

As we move through the door, thirty long, sounding strokes 
peal from the big bell. As the last whispering echo dies the 
mist lifts, the vision fades away, and we stand alone. 

Tears ? Yes, for this has been a dream. We can never be 
young again, can never feel the hot blood tumbling through 
our veins like mountain streams, or rejoice in the fairy castles 
built in youth's blythe time. The real is upon us, the glamour 
and witchery of our dreaming days have departed forever. 
The rush of impulse which filled our lives with mistakes, and 
sometimes pleasures, has given place to sober thought and 
careful calculation. The sun which now lights our path is 
steadier, just as cheering, and not so fitful as the " light of 
other days." Now we can tell poetry from prose, and have 
learned that the even tone of the one is as fascinating as the 
languorous rhythm of the other. Now we see that the old 



76 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

College is built of bricks and mortar, stone and timber, just as 
it appears to the passerby. To the students of long ago, it 
will always seem wreathed in vines of sentiment, with a halo 
about the old bell-tower. We have loved it through all its 
trials and tribulations, and we can hardly be expected to write 
in detail, and with practical accuracy, of a place around which 
cluster so many little romances and tender memories. With 
us, the past is ever present ; even the personnel of the faculty 
seems the same. Dr. Scarff is still straight and vigorous, and 
his agile limbs set a pace that any college athlete might envy. 
Not one of the " old girls " would dare to whisper or mutter 
even now in the neighborhood of Mrs. Stoddard, lest she whirl 
suddenly, and turn upon her the battery of her ever-watchful 
and all-seeing eyes. Dr. Currier is yet to us the blonde young 
man who seemed to know " everything by intuition." Pro- 
fessor Cotton is " King Ahasuerus," with his mighty basso- 
profundo voice. And the lovely Miss Cleveland will always 
be " Esther " the beautiful queen. While time lasts they will 
always seem the same, and we are glad that, to us, they will 
never change. 

A little history of the School, for those to whom its early 
years are mere tradition, it is advisable to give, without too 
close detail. 

Before Iowa was a State, in her territorial days, the Baptists 
within her borders began to feel the necessity of establishing 
a school which would give their young people the advantages 
lost to them by the emigration of their forebears into a country 
so new and devoid of educational opportunities. Travel in 
those days was a serious problem, so the youth had to be edu- 
cated at home, if at all. Although the subject was constantly 
agitated, it was not until 185 1 that any definite action was 
taken. 

The Iowa Baptist State Convention was held in September 
of that year, at Burlington. After thorough discussion, the 
following resolution was adopted : 

" Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed whose 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 77 

duty it shall be to make investigations, solicit proposals, etc., 
with reference to the immediate establishment of a denomina- 
tional University in this State; and that this committee be 
authorized to call an educational convention at such time and 
place as they may deem expedient, when the whole subject 
may be considered in detail." 

The Convention was called to meet in Iowa City, April 13, 
1852. At this meeting the delegates selected Burlington as 
the place for the College, but as this decision was reached at the 
close of a long night session, in which there was considerable 
controversy, there was an effort made the following morning 
to rescind the action of the Convention, and to reconsider the 
whole matter. The friends of Burlington opposed this move- 
ment, as they claimed the affair was settled for all time. 

At the Convention the following year at Marion, the ques- 
tion was taken up again. The majority of delegates favored 
new action in the matter. Resolutions were passed to that 
effect, and a call was sent to all the churches, requesting a full 
attendance at a special meeting to be held in Oskaloosa, No- 
vember 10, 1852, for the consideration of the establishment of 
a Baptist College nearer the centre of the State. This Con- 
vention was held, but reached no definite conclusion, and 
adjourned to meet in Bella in June of the following year. At 
this adjourned meeting the resolution was adopted which 
located the College in that pleasant little city, where it still 
exists. This caused much adverse comment, with the result 
that the Burlington institution interest was sustained by its 
adherents, and the College at Bella also began to take form. 
It was unfortunate that in the beginning there should have 
been this division, and that any action should have been taken 
until the Baptists knew their minds thoroughly. 

At this time the Bella School had by far the greater number 
of friends, but as there was not unanimity among the Baptists 
there was a struggle from the first. 

In taking the name of " University" it was thought that, 
in the near future, departments of Medicine and Law could be 



78 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

added to the Collegiate and Divinity departments, already 
established. Up to this date this has not been accomplished. 

The work of building was begun immediately. Rev. Henry 
P. Scholte, who stood for the Holland element in the commu- 
nity, Rev. I. C. Curtis, Rev. Edward O. Towne, Rev. E. 
Bookenoogan, and Dr. Putnam, constituted the Executive 
Committee. There were no funds, so progress was slow and 
hampered ; but a little money was raised and the work 
began. 

In 1854 the foundation of the College building was put in, 
and the plans definitely settled upon for a three-story brick 
structure with stone basement. It was thought best to begin 
the work of the Academic Department at once without wait- 
ing for the new building. Dr. Scarff was summoned to take 
charge of the School. His assistants were Professor Caleb 
Caldwell, Professor C. C. Cory, and Miss Julia Tolman. The 
School was held in a two-story brick building on Washington 
Street, in West Pella. In 1856 it was moved into the new 
building, which was far enough along to admit of occupancy. 

Professor Currier was added to the force of teachers in 1857. 
The School for two years prepared its classes for higher work, 
and in 1858 the Collegiate Department was opened. At the 
June Board meeting, Dr. Elihu Gunn, of Keokuk, was elected 
President of the College; Mrs. Stoddard was made Principal 
of the Ladies' Department. The endowments of the School 
suffered severely from the panic of 1857; none of the moneys 
subscribed could be collected. Many larger and more flourishing 
institutions were obliged to close on account of the hard times, 
but this little School went right on and grew steadily. Its first 
class was ready for graduation in the spring of 1861. War was 
declared between the North and South in April of that year. 
The College at that time had over three hundred students, and 
was growing in popularity rapidly. Its progress received a 
serious check, for the young men, almost en masse, enlisted. 
When the autumn term opened there was not a youth of 
proper age for collegiate work among its students. Without 




GROUP FIVE. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 



79 



an income from endowments, with the classes almost depopu- 
lated, it would have been small wonder if the School had not 
opened its doors in September of 1862. It had not begun its 
career with the idea of being suspended on account of obsta- 
cles; so the doors swung wide, the plucky teaching corps, 
minus Professor Currier, who had enlisted, and Miss Mitchell, 
who had gone to the war as a nurse, took up its regular 
duties, and never missed a day's work during the war. 

No school in America has such a record for loyalty and 
patriotism as Iowa Central University; for she gave not only 
a larger proportion of her young men to the service than did 
any other school in the United States, but she gave all that 
she possessed. In her pride and loyalty she poured out her 
best blood, even to the last drop. ^ 

This is a fact which should interest the public-spirited ; for a 
college which instills such patriotism and devotion to country 
into the hearts of its pupils should never want for the where- 
withal to build halls and dormitories, or the means for gener- 
ously endowing its chairs and departments. 

In 1864 the College was twelve thousand dollars in debt. 
Further work would have been impossible had not the friends 
of its lifetime once more come to the rescue. Hon, Joseph 
K. Hornish, who gave the School its first endowment of ten 
thousand dollars, subscribed three thousand dollars. Dominie 
Scholte, always the affectionate and helpful friend of the 
School, gave real estate ; and other friends helped as best they 
could. Dr. Stoddard put time, strength, and money into the 
work, and travelled near and far in the interest of the School. 
Dr. Scarff taught, preached, and prayed; Dr. Currier lay awake 
nights and planned. And the three held business meetings 
and kept the College going. All this sacrifice and zeal brought 
good results. In two years the debt was paid, and there was 
great rejoicing among the friends of the School. 

The grounds up to this time had been devoid of shade or 
shrub, but in the spring of '66 the campus was laid out and 
planted with fine young trees. To-day they wave their 



8o A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

branches high in air, and adorn the grounds as but few are 
adorned in that rolling prairie country. 

In 1870 ten thousand dollars were raised to start an endow- 
ment fund. Rev. Moses Bixby was a good friend at this time, 
and gave valuable aid in collecting this sum. 

In 1 871 Dr. Louis A. Dunn, of Fairfax, Vermont, was elected 
President of the College. During his administration of nine 
years, many students were added and the condition of affairs 
steadily improved. Failing in health. Dr. Dunn was obliged to 
retire in 1881, and the presidency was tendered to Dr. G. W. 
Gardner, of Massachusetts. In this year Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard 
decided to return to India to take up the work they had left 
so regretfully a few years before. This brought grief to their 
friends, for both these dear people held places which could not 
be refilled. Dr. Gardner was in delicate health and only able 
to give three years to the College work. Professor R. H. 
Tripp was made acting president, and filled, for one year, the 
place made vacant by Dr. Gardner's retirement. 

In 1885, Rev. Daniel Reed, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was 
invited to fill the vacant place. His reputation as a scholar 
and an executive encouraged the Board to hope for great 
work under his administration. He was indeed fruitful in 
plans, but, alas for Central! they went " a-gley," and before 
it was realized its existence was trembling in the balance. 
But for the prompt rally of old and tried friends, among whom 
were some of the Alumni, a requiem would soon have been 
chanted over all that remained of this dearly loved and useful 
institution. All hearts turned at once to Dr. Dunn, and he 
was recalled to the position he had reluctantly given up in 
1881. His judicious management restored confidence, the 
College speedily regained its footing, and went on with its 
work rejoicing. 

During this last period of Dr. Dunn's connection with the 
School, the Biblical Department was established. He strongly 
felt the need of a cultured clergy for the country towns and 
hamlets which did not have the means to employ pastors who 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 8l 

were educated in expensive seminaries in large cities. This 
was a noble work, and the State has felt the benefit of his 
wise plan. Dr. Dunn held his position until his death, on 
Thanksgiving Day, 1888. Rev. S. J. Axtell succeeded him, 
and in 1890 resigned to accept a professorship in Kalamazoo 
College. 

Dr. John Stuart, then Pastor of the Pella Baptist Church, 
and Professor of Mental Science and Sacred Literature in the 
College, was called to fill the vacancy made by Professor Ax- 
tell's resignation. For five years Dr. Stuart was most energetic 
in his labors for the School. The increase in activity and 
interest was soon apparent. During the first year the number 
of students became so large that Cotton Hall was built to ac- 
commodate them. Dr. Stuart literally wore himself out with 
his incessant work, and was obliged to resign in 1895. 

Dr. Arthur B. Chaffee took possession of the president's 
chair January i, 1896. In the three years he has been in 
charge he has won his way in the University as well as among 
the Baptists of the State. 

At the present writing the interest in the College is very 
active. There is an organized movement among the Baptists 
of the State to consolidate their various educational institu- 
tions. Conventions and meetings have been held to bring this 
about, but so far no harmonious or satisfactory results have 
been reached. 

The Pella School has never been enlisted thoroughly in the 
scheme of " unification," and the students of the past and 
present are unalterably opposed to it. For some wise purpose 
this College was founded in this particular spot. The tender 
germ which reached out toward life nearly fifty years ago is 
now full of inspiration and strength; it is a power for good. 
This little College has a soul, a distinct and unique personality. 
Its peculiar work would be utterly lost were it to be made a 
part of some great plan. It is better alone, for it has its own 
mission and its own system of work. Its entire usefulness lies 
in the fact that it is especially fitted to meet the necessities of 
6 



82 A BEA UTIFUL LIFE 

its patrons. It has grown up out of the needs of the people, 
and no surer proof is given us that it should live, and will live, 
and in just the place where it has been tended and watered, 
than its existence at the present day. The storms which it 
has weathered, the foes it has worsted, have been many and 
bitter, but it seems to be absolutely harm-proof. There is no 
doubt in our mind but that it will be living, and doing good in 
its modest way, long after more pretentious institutions have 
passed from memory. 

Not for a moment would we decry the merits of other 
schools. If they can exist, it is proof they are needed. If 
they die, it is because they lack vitality, and have not the 
divine afiflatus. 

Our College, from the very first, has had a corps of teachers 
who have put their life into its upbuilding. Devotion and 
self-sacrifice have gone into its every bone and sinew. It was 
founded in Christian sincerity, and has been sustained by love. 
It can neither die, migrate, nor be transplanted. It rests on 
hallowed ground, which has mellowed under heaven's sun- 
light for just one purpose. The brick and stone were laid by 
Christian zeal, and cemented by faith and hope. Men worked 
on those walls who wanted a school home for their boys and 
girls. Part of their earnings they donated to the enterprise. 
It was built by friends and neighbors, who beamed with hap- 
piness when the chapel was seated, so a "praise meeting" 
could be held to give thanks for this beloved possession. Do 
all these things go for nothing ? Could the spirit of such a 
school be moved ? It would be lost and away from home in 
other surroundings, and aggrieved, would wander back to its 
old resting-place. 

No. We refuse to be wooed. Come to us if you will and 
welcome, but we know our strength. We have thriven on 
little or nothing, our vitals are warmed with loyal fire, and our 
hearts are wedded to the .quiet little village, where the College 
is the Town, and the Town is the College. 

We do not believe, that in the whole world, there is a city 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 83 

or a hamlet where a school can be sustained so cheaply as at 
Pella. Instead of the students being overcharged in the vil- 
lage shops, they are always given a reduction, and each citizen 
does what he can to enable them to live cheaply and well. 
The religious influence is pure and vigorous. It is impossible 
to be associated with the College without entering into church 
life and church work. The baptism of the students is very 
frequent, and with one accord they attend public worship 
once, and usually twice, a day. 

It is only in a town of small size that the Church stands 
sponsor for all social entertainment. It is impossible to visit 
within its borders without feeling the direct influence and benefit 
of its pure and unadulterated Christianity. The fine old tunes 
are still sung at the prayer meetings — ' ' Antioch, " " B(^lston, ' ' 
" Martyn," " Greenville," " Dennis," " Coronation," and 
many others. I think they have about given up " Devizes" 
and " Meribah," but there are still enough of the stately old 
psalm tunes to lend dignity to the service. The students are 
encouraged to take part in the meetings, and the aged and 
the young worship together. The religious zeal among the 
students is most remarkable. The Young Peoples' meetings 
are conducted with fervor and dignity. Each winter many are 
added to the church, and devoted Christian men and women 
go out from the College halls, well fitted for their part of solv- 
ing life's great problem, and advancing the cause of Chris- 
tianity. 

One exceedingly happy feature of the Pella School, is its 
power to instill into its pupils an ambition which carries them 
on and on in the search for knowlege. If circumstances per- 
mit, the graduates of the College proceed at once to a school 
of larger scope and greater teaching force, in order to fit them- 
selves thoroughly for a position of importance in school work 
or in the world at large. 

Chicago University has had many of our students; others 
go farther east, and some have gone abroad for study. Cen- 
tral's students are welcomed in every school. Their work has 



84 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

been so thorough and their rank so defined, that in many- 
places they are admitted without examination, upon presenta- 
tion of their College credentials. Throughout the State they 
are in demand as teachers, and command very desirable posi- 
tions. Nothing tells like sincere school work; and that is the 
only kind which is sanctioned in our institution. The stu- 
dents work for their " marks," and can receive certificates and 
diplomas only when the work has been thorough and conscien- 
tious. 

The happy, inspiring tone of the School is in great contrast 
to the lackadaisical, blas^ air one encounters so frequently 
nowadays. Everything is done with a cheerfulness and vigor, 
and with minds so free from the trammel of other interests, 
that it is a delight to visit the class-rooms. 

The work of Central speaks for itself. Its graduates, who 
are now filling important places in life, are evidence of judi- 
cious supervision and careful tutelage. The location of the 
School and the unique, simple surroundings have had much 
to do with the notably good results attained. It has seemed 
to be in just the right place, and in the proper element. A 
school so placed, which has shown so much power and vitality, 
should never be moved or merged into another interest. It 
has earned a right to live independently, to retain its own 
personality; and if left to itself, it will give a good account of 
its stewardship. It may now point with pride to its soldiers, 
editors, physicians, lawyers, lecturers, merchants, ministers of 
the Gospel, missionaries, philanthropists, bankers, business 
men, teachers, writers, and home makers. With its capacity 
for good increased, there is no computing the great work which 
is still before it. 

It is the hope of the Alumni to help largely in further en- 
dowing the College. They are working earnestly to raise a 
fund to present to it upon the celebration of its semi-centen- 
nial anniversary, in 1903. This we call our " Jubilee" fund; 
and we trust the subscriptions to it will be large and numer- 
ous. More buildings and apparatus are needed; and several 






M 



r^^ l 






GROUP SIX. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 85 

Chairs should be endowed. It is no new thing to the old 
friends to sacrifice and save for the School, and it is a great 
encouragement that the younger element seems filled with the 
same spirit. A few thousand dollars in the hands of our eco- 
nomical and thrifty institution would carry it over its troubles, 
and deliver it from the nightmare of Unification, Annexation, 
and Annihilation, which periodically disturbs its peace and 
repose. Let us be alive to this state of affairs, fight removal, 
and the " lowering of the grade " of the School, maintain our 
rights to exist as we are chartered, and sustain our Alma 
Mater in the way in which she deserves to be sustained. 

The location of the School is a most healthful one; the town 
is free from epidemics ; every citizen owns his plot of ground, 
and has his cow, chickens, and garden. The life is simple and 
honest; there is nothing to distract from the main purpose, or 
draw from the duties of the School. Consequently the aver- 
age for scholarship is high. There is no slipshod work done in 
the class-room, and no passing of pupils on account of " fam- 
ily " or through favoritism. 

In all the years of the life of the College she has had many 
strong, capable, and loving friends. If they had been pos- 
sessed of as much of the goods of this world as they were of 
zeal and devotion, the College campus would now be covered 
with fine buildings, laboratories, society halls, and all that goes 
to make a superb college property. It is impossible to write 
or think of the School without having these dear friends and 
sponsors appear to the mind's eye as distinctly as if they 
were, in these latter days, strolling about the College grounds. 
Some of them lived a little too early for the writer's time, but 
they are as well known and honored by her as if they had been 
the closest friends ; for out of their abundance, or their pov- 
erty, they founded and maintained the institution which is 
entitled to her sincere love and gratitude. 

No one of the first College Board was there as a figurehead, 
but all were so earnestly enlisted in the interests of the College 
that they devoted themselves to its cause unselfishly. It was 



86 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

a very strong Board. Dominie Scholte had led his flock into 
" the place of refuge," and in himself was a truly wonderful 
man. High spirited, erudite, and polished, he was a gentle- 
man always. Then there was Rev. Obed Sperry, a most 
forceful character, who in the early days acted as financial 
agent, and made friends for the School throughout the State. 
The Keables brothers, Hon. Calvin Craven, A. H. Vierson, 
E. D. Morgan, the Deacons M. W. Rudd, Banner Bowen, 
Hon. H. W. Littler, Capt. E. G. Barker, Major H. G. Curtis, 
H. A. Ritner, John Nollen, Esq., Rev. William Elliott, H. K. 
Kean, and Dr. Howell were among the best-known men who 
served as trustees at different times. Mr. A. E. D. Bousquet 
was a most active friend in the early days. Hon. T. E. Balch 
was chancellor and agent after the " sixties," and was of great 
value in these capacities. Dr. E. C. Spinney also gave the 
College valuable aid. Rev. J. M. Wood completed the col- 
lection of the fifty-thousand-dollar endowment, and moneys 
amounting to ten thousand dollars which had been raised by 
subscription. Hon. Joseph K. Hornish was a faithful and 
helpful friend to the last. 

Of the large number of trustees who came and went, there 
was not one who was a stranger in the community. The 
Board meetings were looked forward to with the greatest 
interest by the citizens. The members were given the " keys 
of the city," so to speak, and were always generously enter- 
tained. The annual exercises of the College brought scores of 
visitors, and no one ever thought of staying at a hotel. Every 
house in town was thrown open to them; the "spare" bed 
was more than comfortably filled. Students who were 
crowded with examination work, essays, concerts, cantatas, 
farewell exercises, etc., rarely spent a night of that last week 
of school in their own beds, but just camped around anywhere 
and searched for their clothing, books, and papers in unusual 
places. It was like a season of Methodist " Conference" or 
Baptist " Association; " the very chickens sniffed agitation in 
the air, but rarely lived long enough to determine the cause of 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 87 

their excitement. It was a joyous time. The weather was 
usually fine, and every one was happy over the interesting 
events of the week. When they were concluded, and the last 
visiting " brother" and " sister" had departed, the little town 
subsided, and carried into the societies and " sewing circles" 
enough harmless gossip to last until the big bell summoned the 
students into the College halls in September. Small wonder 
that the School prospered in those olden days. Every citizen 
took a special interest in every pupil and teacher, and felt that 
they were, in a measure, responsible for their well-being. 
Much of this generous, unselfish feeling was due to the Mother 
in the home. Had she not been so full of kindly solicitude 
for the homesick student, such a delightful state of affairs 
could never have existed. It was she who cheerfuily baked 
and brewed, supplied and managed, that these " away from 
home" boys and girls might be made to feel welcome and 
contented. To these tender mothers who gathered them 
under their shelter is due the love and thanks of the College 
pupils and the patrons of the School. 

The good women of Pella are known far and near for their 
philanthropy and kindness. The host of young people who 
gather for the work of the college year know that they can 
depend on them for advice, friendship, and hospitality. The 
"College Mothers" of the war time and succeeding years 
have largely passed away, and their places have been taken by 
others just as earnest and devoted. Many who were pupils in 
the early days, are now helping to guide and guard the youth- 
ful and inexperienced students whom each year brings among 
them, thus, in a measure, repaying the debt they owe to the 
kind, self-sacrificing women who, in by-gone years, were so 
devoted to the interests of the College. 

The citizens of the town are deeply interested in all the 
improvements about the campus, and cheerfully aid in raising 
funds for any new work. They believe in the physical, as well 
as the mental, development of the rising generation, and have 
been active in securing the fine new building which is being 



88 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

erected under the auspices of the Young Men's and Young 
Women's Christian Associations. The library, lecture halls, 
club-rooms, chapel, and a gymnasium will be given room in this 
building. 

The occupancy of the new gymnasium will give a fresh im- 
petus to athletics. Out-of-door sports have received a great 
deal of attention, and some excellent records have been made ; 
but the work has been hampered by the lack of suitable build- 
ings and appurtenances. 

Many of the graduates of the School have brought honor 
upon their Alma Mater, and so few have brought discredit 
that the number, so far as known, is too small to mention. 

College life in this little town does not mean four ill-spent 
and wasted years, with bad habits, bad principles, and profli- 
gate ways established beyond redemption. This is so notably 
a Christian school that almost without exception, its attendants 
are devout men and women. It goes almost without saying 
that they are all allied to one or the other of the Christian 
denominations. The teachers are pious people. In my 
knowledge, no others have ever been employed. The tone of 
the School has been established by the Faculty, always com- 
posed of instructors who put their whole souls into their work, 
and have regarded themselves as responsible for the spiritual, 
as well as the intellectual, growth of the youth under their 
care. They have been men and women of fine fibre, and for 
the most part liberally educated and college-bred. Miss 
Tolman, Mr. Caldwell, Miss Johnson, Miss Cotton, Rev. F. 
E. Britton, Ira De Long, Miss Tons, Miss Morse, Mr. Neyen- 
esch, Mrs. Tripp, Professor Adkins, Ada Gardner, S. F. 
Prouty, Fannie Barker Cutler, Martha Rudd, Lois Martin, 
Lillian Vierson, John Nollen, Henry Nollen, Professor Lough- 
ridge, Miss Manning, Miss Kate Keables, Julia Bousquet, Dr. 
Burr, Professor Cook, Miss McCully, Professor Munson, Pro- 
fessor Baraca, Miss Firth, Professor Hall, Professor Lear, and 
Professor Lewis have been valued and useful instructors in 
various departments, in the history of the College. We have 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 89 

sent forth a large number of Divinity students who have 
become notable preachers of the Gospel, and missionaries who 
have found their field in the uttermost parts of the earth. 

Professor Loughridge left his work in the College to enter 
the mission field, going among the Telugues in Hanamacunda, 
India, in 1875. He remained there for several years, but is 
now professor in the State Normal School at Cedar Rapids, 
Iowa. Miss Manning taught five years in the University. In 
1874 she went as missionary to Burmah, India, and taught in 
the Rangoon College. This charming woman was one of the 
most lovely characters ever connected with the College. Her 
life was purity and piety personified. Her literary attainments 
were unusual. When she left the College, she was followed 
by loving thoughts and wishes for her welfare. Hei*life was a 
sacrifice. After a few years in India, she fell a victim to the 
trying climate, and was obliged to return to America. After a 
short time she passed away, in her old home and birthplace, 
Warwick, Massachusetts. Miss Manning was founder of the 
Alethian Society, which is now one of the institutions of the 
School. 

Miss Ellen E. Mitchell, who taught in " Central " before 
the War, has for many years been a practising physician in 
India. She served as a volunteer nurse in the Civil War, re- 
signing her professorship in the College for that purpose. 

Miss Amy Harris, of the class of '84, was also a missionary 
to Burmah for several years, but lost her health in attending 
to the exacting duties incident to her work. 

A large number of the Alumni have studied for the profes- 
sions, the greater part choosing the Law. We have several 
jurists who have attained eminence, and three or four who are 
occupying places on the Bench in their several commonwealths. 
The press of the country has been reinforced largely from our 
ranks. We have added some skilled practitioners to the med- 
ical profession. Our College is represented in almost every 
line of business. We have sent out preachers and professors, 
whose efficiency attests to the sincerity of their training. The 



go A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

work of the School has been in the interest of higher educa- 
tion. Our beloved Dr. Scarff says, " If the College should die 
now, the work which it has done will live forever." 

When youth begins to realize the power of knowledge, and 
to long for its aid and charm, it is sure to search for light in 
every direction. The college near at hand meets the needs 
and nourishes the growing ambition, gives courage and in- 
creases self-respect. Wilkes, the politician, once said, " I am 
the plainest man in all Christendom, but I will undertake not 
to be behindhand a quarter of an hour in a race with an 
Adonis." His culture and arts gave him confidence; his 
trained intellect could dazzle and lead. He was sure of him- 
self, and depended on mind, not feature. A brilliant mental 
equipment outshines any beauty purely physical; just as he 
who trains his conversational powers and uses a language in its 
purity can lead his hearers where he will. Nothing is so de- 
basing as ignorance, or so hard to endure, when one realizes 
he is in its thrall. 

The literary societies in Central are great civilizers and re- 
finers. It is astonishing how soon a raw student will swing 
into the work, learn to stand evenly on both feet, to speak 
what he thinks, to hold his lips together when he is listening, 
and to understand parliamentary usages in this weekly drill. 
It fits him for the halls of Congress and for the forum, and 
starts him to thinking for himself on independent lines. When 
a man learns to think, he is never alone. When he can put 
his thoughts into words, for the profit and edification of others, 
he is a benefactor. The ignorant cannot realize the delight 
there is to be found in quiet study and research. The house- 
maid of the great Darwin constantly fretted and fussed about 
his solitary habits, saying in pitying tones, " If the dear man 
only had some one to talk to and visit with, he would be so 
much happier," little realizing that his life was so full that he 
dreaded contact with man, lest a moment of his precious time 
for research be wasted. A good student fritters away no time, 
and early learns its priceless value. An efificient teacher incul- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 91 

cates habits of mental order, and fills his pupil with the great 
ambition of gaining all that can be acquired in each school 
year. Such a habit, well formed, places either a man or a 
woman above mediocrity, and marks out for them a life of 
progress and intellectual growth. A student is " one who 
studies" ; a brilliant, forceful man is one who kas studied, and 
lost no opportunity to enrich and embellish his mind with 
every art and science within his reach. 

The college where one has gained his education is entitled 
to the lasting love and gratitude of the student. He should 
rejoice in its prosperity, and mourn over its troubles, and be 
ready when the winds of adversity blow to steady the out- 
posts and make fast the stanchions. A man is made of poor, 
ungrateful stufT who will allow his Alma Mater to sniffer and 
struggle if it lies in his power to aid her, either by moneys, 
lands, or influence. A body of alumni is wanting in loyalty 
which does not band together to stand by the fostering mother, 
and by word and deed, as it may be able, to lift her from dis- 
tress and the pitfall of her enemies. The noble array of men 
and women who, having been blessed with prosperity, have 
enriched and endowed the schools in which they were edu- 
cated, forms one of the most admirable of the classes of phi- 
lanthropy. Grateful for the good they have received, and 
realizing their nothingness without knowledge, they build and 
endow, that coming generations may profit by their generosity 
and beneficence. It is not a charity but a duty, and one which 
should be so fraught with pleasure that it would be a delight, 
and not like a " tax unto Caesar." Our schools must be sus- 
tained, and thrice blessed is he who quickly and cheerfully 
aids and builds up the choice of his heart, without urging or 
solicitation. 

Mr. and Mrs. Russell Sage, who have so recently come to 
the rescue of the famous Troy School, have the lasting grati- 
tude of all who are interested in its well-being. Mrs. Sage, as 
Margaret Olivia Slocum, attended Mrs. Willard's Seminary 
many years ago. Her heart has always been true to its inter- 



92 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

ests. When fortune blessed her, she gave of her abundance 
with loving generosity. Mr. Sage, for the sake of his loyal 
wife, has built and endowed, with lavish hand. A fine build- 
ing stands on the Seminary grounds as a monument to his 
philanthropy. Under the guidance of Mrs. Sage, the Emma 
Willard Society has grown into a great power, and there is 
no danger that, in the near future, this noted school will be in 
want or in need of friends. 

Mrs. Leland Stanford ranks high above all American women 
in promoting the cause of education. In carrying out the 
plans of her distinguished husband in establishing the Leland 
Stanford University, at Palo Alto, California, she has shown 
most wonderful executive ability and far-sightedness. The 
school was founded in memory of their only child, a lovely 
son, who, passing away in early youth, left their home be- 
reaved and lonely. This school is co-educational and is doing 
a truly wonderful work. The devotion of Mrs. Stanford is 
unexampled. No sacrifice is too great for her to make; her 
whole life is bound up in this noble and elevating mission. 
She is known for her generosity to every worthy enterprise 
which she can encourage; and life is sweeter to a multitude 
of people for having " passed her way." Scores and scores 
of others have remembered substantially colleges that have 
become dear to them ; and the safety of the country is thus 
more largely ensured. There is no menace so dangerous as igno- 
rance ; he who puts one child in the way of enlightenment is 
doing his part toward filling the future with culture and civili- 
zation. 

The teaching of the little College in Pella has always been 
largely of an evangelical and missionary order. The good and 
true predominates in all its precepts. No pupil is denied 
admittance on account of poverty. Opportunity is given those 
whom fortune has not favored to avail themselves of all the 
school privileges. Young Divinity students are encouraged to 
take small "charges" as soon as they are qualified. The 
students of the College have within the past few years been 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 



93 



** supplying" many pulpits in the neighboring towns and 
country districts. They have built up small interests to pros- 
perous organizations, raised money and erected comfortable 
churches and chapels, attending to their pastoral work and 
keeping up their studies in the most commendable manner at 
the same time. There, it is a rare thing for a Divinity student 
to have money enough to put himself through college, so the 
church and College help him, and put him in a way of earning 
his daily bread, frequently waiving the tuition fee. 

A school which has such a nearness to, and personal interest 
in its pupils, can do vastly more good than one which keeps 
them at arm's length. Where the student and instructor meet 
only in the class-room no deep and lasting friendships are likely 
to be formed. When the teacher has it in his pow^ to estab- 
lish close and helpful relations out of school, as is possible and 
usual in small communities, there is no calculating the good 
he may do. 

Our little College, like Cornelia, counts "her boys" and 
" girls " as her jewels, and guards them with jealous, watchful 
care both day and night. 

It is truly marvellous, under the existing conditions, how 
the officers of the School maintain their good cheer and hope- 
fulness. Hampered by straitened circumstances and inade- 
quate school furnishings and apparatus, they are compelled to 
carry on their work at great disadvantage. With a very few of 
the many thousands of dollars which are wasted and misapplied 
in the great scheme of educational work, the efficiency of this 
phenomenally useful School could be much increased. A few 
hundred dollars would finish the library building ; a few hundred 
more would fill its shelves with needed books; and the gym- 
nasium could be fitted for use at very little cost.* The lively 
interest of the young people in the work is shown by their 
desire to aid. The young men students have helped in shin- 
gling the roof and in laying the brick. The young women have 

* A little later on a brief table containing the financial status of the College and 
her present needs is given. 



94 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

raised money in their societies, as have also the young men, by 
giving entertainments, and pledging annual sums from their 
slender purses. It would fire the heart of any one not made 
of stone, to witness the zeal of these ardent young students, 
some of whom are almost in penury, and but few with a penny 
for waste or luxury. 

Thus it is that the brave and plucky little School has made 
her history. For nearly half a century she has smilingly met 
every fate. Her heart is true as gold, her purpose noble and 
high-minded, her record one of purity, piety, and patriotism, 
her work, like that of her sister colleges, the most civilizing 
and refining of all in the world. 










^'n 




IWm» 






GROUP SEVEN. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 95 



CHAPTER IX 

THE CHIME OF MELODY 

In the year 1857 the College bell was swung into its loft in 
the cupola. It made its ascent amid the cheers of the entire 
community, and was hoisted into place by the willing hands of 
the citizens of the town, who lent their strength and might to 
the occasion, pulling and tugging at the long rope until the 
fine new songster perched on high, ready to peal forth its lay 
as duty required. 

For full forty-two years has it swayed to and fro, in unison 
with the thoughts and feelings of the people whom it has so 
faithfully served. If it could speak and tell its story, it might 
a very interesting tale unfold ; for nothing has taken place in 
the community in which it has not had a part. In addition to 
its school duties, it has never missed a prayer meeting or 
divine service of its own accord. Upon a few occasions its 
voice has been hushed, when some unholy spirits have cut 
the rope which linked it to the lower world ; and once in the 
recent past, it was rifled of its eloquent tongue, and was silent 
and mournful until it was returned. 

The duties of the bell have been manifold. For many years, 
at the ghastly hour of five A.M., it smote the air with a hurry- 
ing, startling call, which turned the rosy sleeper out on the 
rug for the morning study hour. It disturbs the sluggard, 
prods the inactive, scolds the lazy, and brings every one to 
time, within its jurisdiction. It has earned the gratitude of 
every student who has measured time by its methodical and 
ringing stroke. Merrily has it pealed a wedding chime, and 
slowly and sympathetically chanted and tolled for those who 
have passed away. It has cried out in despair when the days 



96 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

of the College seemed numbered, and rocked back and forth 
with joy when orders came to " ring on." 

What a fine old friend this splendid bell has been, never 
sulky or gloomy, and never out of tune ! Rich with treasure 
taken from the mines of the earth, it sends out over the undu- 
lating fields its powerful tones of melody with unstinted gen- 
erosity. High up in the sunlit air, it sings its song, and keeps 
guard over the youth within sound of its musical voice. 

The old bell tolled and sobbed when our boys, in the long 
ago, marched away to battle; and rang out a hallelujah of 
thanksgiving for those who returned. 

For over two score of years, in wind and weather, ever ready 
for service, has this good, true bell hung between the earth 
and the stars. It has come to have a personality, and is one 
of the institutions of the town. It is the vade mecum of the 
College itself ; for who could imagine the old building without 
its proud and clarion-toned herald. 

Here's to the College bell, whose every stroke brings up an 
eloquent memory ! May its " tuneful strain " for many years 
carry its message to the loving friends who listen for its chim- 
ing cadence ! May it only sing songs of wisdom, peace, and 
plenty ! It is exalted in height, exalted in tone, and will ever 
be exalted in the hearts of all of the children of Central. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 



97 



CHAPTER X 

THE OPEN DOOR 
" Pass in, and find a welcome." 

On a little rise of ground in view of the College campus, in 
the prettiest part of Pella, stands a home with an open door. 
I may be pardoned for mentioning this portal, for I know 
more about the home to which it belongs, and the comings and 
goings between its lintels, than I do of any other in tne world. 
Had I not known it so well, and learned the lesson of Chris- 
tian benevolence so thoroughly taught within it, this little 
book would never have been written. For forty-four years 
■my father. Dr. John Gilson Howell, has presided over the 
household to which it belongs, extending greeting and hospi- 
tality to all of the students of the University who have, in that 
time, come and gone in the search of knowledge. The house 
is neither grand nor pretentious, but both precept and practice 
therein are excellent. True Christian doctrine goes hand in 
hand with the fulfillment of its teachings. From the setting 
up of the family altar in the fifties until the present time, the 
students of Central have been welcome visitors in this home, 
and shared in its hospitality and comfort. 

The College has been a leading interest in my father's life. 
He was one of its earliest trustees, and served many terms on 
the College Board. Now in latter years he still attends all of 
the public events of the School, and not infrequently joins in 
the chapel exercises. When in the active practice of his profes- 
sion, he was always on the Examining Committee of the classes 
in physiology, and took great delight in putting questions to 
the students whom Mrs. Stoddard had taught and drilled so 



98 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

thoroughly and intelligently. He has an especial interest in 
the Divinity students. One of the young men said to me, not 
long ago: " Your father's talks on the Bible and its doctrines 
are worth a term's work to a young fellow who is too timid to 
ask questions of his professor. His expounding of the Scrip- 
tures and the application of the lessons contained therein are 
the clearest and most convincing to which I have ever listened." 

There is no doubt about Father Howell being the patriarch 
of the College friends, as far as years go. He is now in his 
ninety-second year, well and strong and in the full possession of 
all his faculties. There is only one living person who antedates 
him. That one is Dr. Scarff, who was the real founder of the 
School. Nearly all of its earliest friends have passed away, 
and a younger generation is filling the responsible places as 
advisers and supporters. Hon. Calvin Craven, of Washington, 
Iowa, was a trustee almost immediately after the founding of 
the College, and was one of its earliest patrons. 

The young men and women of the days before the war 
were constant and welcome visitors in the Howell home. Dur- 
ing the life of" Mother Howell," she was the loving friend 
and confidante of hosts of the girls, and her house was filled 
to overflowing with them. She always had a " sure and cer- 
tain " cure for homesickness, and gathering the young people 
about her cheerful fireside, made them forget their troubles. 

And so they passed in and out of the " open door," teach- 
ers, students, trustees, and visitors of the College, always find- 
ing new strength in that atmosphere so fraught with peace and 
contentment. 

My father moved from Ohio to Iowa in 1855, and selected 
the quaint little city of Pella as his place of residence on 
account of the Baptist University being established there. 
Three of his children have received their education in this 
institution, and his son Sylvester was for a time Principal of 
the Preparatory Department of the College. 

Many homes in Pella were just as cheerful and just as hos- 
pitable as my father's, and I hold in grateful remembrance the 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 99 

dear friends who dwelt in them. But his home has stood for 
nearly fifty years ; children and grandchildren have been reared 
under this roof ; the brown heads of youth have silvered with 
age ; suffering and sickness have visited it, and a dear one has 
been called away ; but the spirit of the home is the same, and 
will be while the loving friend of the youth of the University 
sits in his old age, honored and revered, within the " open 
door." 



A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 



CHAPTER XI 

THE PRESIDENTS OF CENTRAL UNIVERSITY 
FIRST PRESIDENT, DR. ELIHU GUNN 

In 1857 the College Board elected the first president of the 
University. The Collegiate Department was not inaugurated 
until that year. 

Hon. J. K. Hornish donated ten thousand dollars to endow 
the President's Chair, expressing the wish that the Rev. Elihu 
Gunn, A.M., D.D., be appointed to it. 

Dr. Gunn entered upon his duties as president in September, 
1857. In his four years of service he showed great executive 
ability, and built up the College to fine proportions. When 
he resigned there were over three hundred young men and 
women in attendance; and no educational institution in the 
State was growing more surely. 

While the Civil War was in progress the hard times seriously 
affected the income of the College. The funds ran so low that 
there were no resources from which to pay the salaries of either 
the president or the faculty. Dr. Gunn gave up the work, and 
Dr. Scarff succeeded him, holding the position until his health 
failed in 1871. 

He trained for college in the Franklin Academy, Shelbourne 
Falls, Massachusetts; and was graduated from Madison Uni- 
versity, Hamilton, New York, in 1847; ^^^ two years later, 
took a degree in the Theological Seminary in the latter city. 

Dr. Gunn was born in Montague, Massachusetts, January 3, 
1 8 18. In early manhood he removed to northern Ohio, and 
taught school that he might complete his college education. 
In later life he removed to Fort Scott, Kansas, where he 








k^ t 




.^-i^. if^. 





GROUP EIGHT. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS loi 

passed away, rich in experience and Christian faith, on October 
31, 1895. Many were the friends who mourned this noble 
gentleman, whose example was a model of excellence, whose 
every-day life told of his high-minded and lofty purpose, 
whose stay upon earth was marked by benevolence, Christian 
charity, and all the virtues which go to make one of God's 
noblest works. 



SECOND PRESIDENT, DR. EMANUEL H. SCARFF, A.M., D.D. 
(See sketch of Dr. Scarff.) 

THIRD PRESIDENT, REV. LOUIS A. DUNN", A.M., JD.D. 

Dr. Dunn was called to the presidency of the School in 1871. 
Coming as he did in the zenith of his strength, there is no esti- 
mating the amount of good which he was able to perform. 
Full of intellectual power, and splendidly equipped physically, 
he entered into his work with zest and enthusiasm, and stirred 
the hearts and quickened the ambition of those with whom he 
was associated. He led the students like a true general, and 
taught them like the wise Fabius that he was. For ten years 
he devoted himself to his work, and was universally loved and 
admired. In 1881 his health failed and he tendered his resig- 
nation, greatly to the grief of all concerned. 

In 1886 the School passed through a very troublous time, 
and Dr. Dunn, at the solicitation of the College authorities, 
returned to the presidential chair, and remained at the head of 
affairs until his death two years later. 

Dr. Dunn was loved as few men are loved, and his name 
will always be spoken in reverence; and blessings will be 
breathed upon his memory by those who knew and loved him 
through all the useful and fruitful years in which he was con- 
nected with the College in Pella. In the community Dr. Dunn 
was held in the highest esteem. As he mingled with the citi- 



I02 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

zens, he won their hearts and commanded their respect. No 
one could associate with him without feeling his great mental 
power, and realizing the sweetness of his character. True as 
steel, patient and gentle, he was yet strong to bear and suffer. 
His life was fine and manly. Its close was peaceful and tri- 
umphant. Blessed was his work, and lasting will be his influ- 
ence. 

FOURTH PRESIDENT. REV. GEORGE W. GARDNER 

Dr. Gardner followed Dr. Dunn in the presidency, upon the 
latter 's resignation in 1881 ; but on account of ill health he 
held the position only a little over three years. He brought 
to the College a fine experience in teaching, and a mind used 
to the best methods. He was trained at Thedford, Vermont, 
for Dartmouth College, and was graduated from the latter in 
1852. After teaching a number of years, he became the pas- 
tor of the First Baptist Church of Charlestown, Massachu- 
setts. 

Dr. Gardner was born at Pomfret, Vermont, October 8, 
1828. He lived all his days in a literary atmosphere. His 
mind was cultured, and his presence most delightful. He 
showed great power in his school work in the Colby Academy, 
and in his last labor in Bella. Central felt his loss keenly when 
he was obliged to resign. 

In his later years Dr. Gardner spent much of his time with 
his relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Spinney, in Des Moines, Iowa. 
He died in his old home in New London, Connecticut, on 
April 27, 1895. His was a successful life, full of interest and 
public spirit. Deeply religious, he found his greatest delight in 
expounding the Scriptures ; and as a teacher of the truths con- 
tained in Holy Writ he has been rarely excelled. His friend- 
ships were generous, his heart was ever warm and quick for 
suffering humanity. He left a fine memory among the College 
people, where his labors were ended all too early; and his min- 
istrations are remembered with gratitude and affection. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS I03 

FIFTH PRESIDENT, ROBERT HALL TRIPP, A.M. 

For one short year Professor Robert Tripp held the position 
of acting president of Central University. He was pressed 
into the service after Dr. Gardner resigned, under the most 
trying circumstances. The " dark days " were shedding their 
gloom over the brave little College, and no one proved a 
better or truer friend than this faithful professor, who had 
been for five years a valued teacher in the School. Nobly he 
stood by its interests, and fought a good fight for its life. To 
him is due the gratitude of the Alumni and friends for his firm 
faith and positive stand. His work will not be forgotten; and 
his career will be followed always with affectionate interest by 
those whom he served so well. * 

SIXTH PRESIDENT, REV. DANIEL REED, LL.D. 

Dr. Reed came to the presidency with the strongest creden- 
tials, and fitted in every way to further the growth and well- 
being of the College. In the minds of many his policy was a 
mistaken one ; so his career at Central was short-lived. When 
he took a bold stand against the time-honored traditions of 
the College, and attempted to engraft upon it new and for- 
eign policies, he was directly opposed to public opinion and 
the settled views of those who have the interests of the Uni- 
versity close to their hearts. The life of the institution was 
held in the balance; and for a time it had little hope of a fur- 
ther existence. The friends of the College rallied, among 
them some strong members of the Alumni, and the day was 
saved. It is not well to blame, or to judge harshly. Dr. 
Reed was conscientious in his views, and thought he was acting 
for the best. No one not fully acquainted with the pecuhar 
work of the Pella College can realize why it is so dear to its 
friends, or why it is best not to disturb the tenor of its way. 
Experience has taught a number of people with good inten- 
tions that Central's is not a transferable identity, that it is 



I04 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

tenacious of life, and has friends who will die trying to keep 
warm the vital spark that certainly was lighted by no human 
means or agency. Let us bury the past, forgive any seeming 
shortcomings, and do our own duty to the fullest. 

Dr. Reed was a most interesting gentleman, finely equipped 
as an instructor, and possessed of many social and religious 
graces. During the last few years of his life he lived in Cali- 
fornia, where he held the pastorate of one of the Baptist 
churches in the city of Los Angeles. He died May 27, 1898^ 
in Emporia, Kansas, at the home of his daughter. 

SEVENTH PRESIDENT, REV. S. J. AXTELL 

Rev. S. J. Axtell became President of the University upon 
the death of Dr. Dunn, who had been recalled in the troublous 
days succeeding the occupancy of Dr. Reed. 

From 1888 to 1890 he held the reins of government, but 
being called to fill the chair of Greek in the University of Kal- 
amazoo, Michigan, he closed his connection with the Pella 
School. When Dr. Dunn fell by the way, Mr. Axtell held 
the Chair of Latin in the College, and was almost immediately 
elected to fill the place so sadly vacated. 

President Axtell was graduated from Brown University in 
1864. His attainments are scholarly, and his mind is of a fine 
order. He holds the friendship of the community where he 
taught and ministered for two years, and naught but good 
wishes follows him. 

EIGHTH PRESIDENT, REV. JOHN STUART, B.D., PH.D. 

Dr. Stuart is probably the most erudite scholar who has, at 
any time, filled the executive chair of Central University. 
This assertion will hardly cause adverse comment; for his 
entire life has been given to study and research, and his advan- 
tages have been of the finest. He received his preparatory 
training in the Collegiate Institute at Guelph, Ontario, and at 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 105 

Woodstock College, Ontario. He was an " honor " man in 
Greek and Latin when he entered Toronto University. In the 
succeeding years he passed in special honor work in Oriental 
languages, and graduated as prizeman in Hebrew, Chaldee, and 
Syriac. 

Dr. Stuart entered upon the theological course of the To- 
ronto Baptist College, at the same time beginning a post-grad- 
uate course in philosophy. In 1883 he took the degree 
of A.M. 

In 1889 Dr. Stuart came to Pella to take the pastorate of the 
Baptist church and a Chair in the College. In 1890 he was 
made acting president. When the Board met in June, 1891, 
he was elected President of the University. For five years 
he filled the chair, and accomplished a great deai of good, 
solid work that had been much needed. No day was long 
enough for him to carry out his plans. He worked faithfully, 
rapidly, and with a nervous force that was remarkable. He 
was ef^cient and aggressive, in and out of the class-room, 
and in the executive chair. Under his eye the College build- 
ings were repaired and Cotton Hall was added to. The walls 
for the gymnasium and library were laid, and the building 
begun ; and subscriptions were booked for the completion of 
the work. Such active service told on the strength of Dr. 
Stuart, and at the close of his fifth year he was obliged to 
resign on account of broken health. Much gratitude is due 
him for the fine service he rendered the College. It rejoices 
his friends to know that Dr. Stuart has recovered his health 
fully, and is actively engaged in the hardly less onerous duties 
of a practising physician (having completed a course in medi- 
cine after leaving the College work). He is at present residing 
in Indiana. He frequently visits the old friends in Pella, 
where he is so much at home and is always made welcome. 

Dr. Stuart was born in the north of Ireland, of Scotch 
parents. His lineage is noble, as his family is in the direct 
line of the Scotch Stuarts. His aims and purposes are high, 
and his ambition in the field of knowledge is unbounded. His 



lo6 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

days of student life will never end, for his interest is keen, and 
his energy and zeal are insatiable. 

NINTH PRESIDENT, REV. ARTHUR BILLINGS CHAFFEE, 

A.M., D.D. 

Dr. Arthur Chaffee, the incumbent, was called to the presi- 
dential chair in August, 1895, and took charge of the execu- 
tive department January i, 1896. He had demonstrated his 
ability in school work and organization, and the College inter- 
ests took on new life when he assumed control. In the four 
years of his administration over Central, he has devoted him- 
self to its interests with untiring zeal, and through his pleasing 
personality and candid, sincere manner he has made many 
friends for the College. 

Dr. Chaffee is a man of great strength of character and large 
intelligence; endowed with an original creative mind, he has 
constantly enriched it by study and application. His opportu- 
nities for education have been large, and he has made the most 
of them. The first twelve years of his life were spent in Phila- 
delphia, where he was born June 19, 1852. His family is of 
English origin, and has been in this country since the seven- 
teenth century. 

In 1866 Dr. Chaffee's father removed to Saratoga Springs, 
New York. Young Arthur was sent to school at Williston 
Seminary, in East Hampton, Massachusetts. He fitted for 
college at Saratoga Springs, and entered the University of 
Rochester in 1872, but left there in his junior year for Prince- 
ton University, New Jersey, where he completed his collegiate 
course in 1876. His theological education was obtained at the 
Rochester Seminary, from which institution he was graduated 
in 1879. 

Upon closing his college career. Dr. Chaffee went West and 
became a professor of Latin language and literature at Frank- 
lin (Indiana) College. Later he was professor of chemistry and 
physics in the same institution. In 1888 he took the midsum- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 



107 



mer course in chemistry at Harvard University. In 1889 he 
became the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Seymour, 
Indiana. In the latter part of 1890 he was called to the pas- 
torate of the Baptist Church of South Bend, Indiana, where he 
remained until the close of 1895. During the summer of that 
year he was a student of sociology and political economy at 
the University of Chicago. In the autumn he came to the 
Central University of Iowa, as its president. In this position 
he seems so in harmony with his work, and has been so suc- 
cessful, that one feels inclined to say that presidents, as well as 
poets, " are born, not made." 

Dr. Chaffee is extremely happy in his attitude toward the 
young people under his care. He has found the " open 
sesame " to their hearts, and has entered into thei« social life 
with zest and interest. He was a member of the Delta Psi and 
Cleosophic societies of Princeton ; and encourages students in 
" society " work and the maintenance of their various organiza- 
tions. His tastes are scientific, and he has, at various times, 
held membership in The Indiana Academy of Science and The 
American Association of Science. 

Dr. Chaffee married into a distinguished family, his wife 
being Miss Laura Putnam, connected by descent with the 
famous Israel Putnam. A charming family graces his fireside; 
and four of his children are being educated at Pella. 

Dr. Chaffee is in sympathy with the friends of the University, 
and in their efforts to maintain the College as it was founded. 
The feeling prevails that he may be trusted to guard its good 
name and preside judiciously over its interests. He has been 
long enough in the community now to realize that which a 
stranger cannot — that there is a loving bond between the Col- 
lege and the town which cannot be explained, and which, it is 
clear, should not be broken. The friends and patrons of the 
College hope for much from Dr. Chaffee's administration ; and 
will give him their faithful support in his efforts to build up 
and advance Central's interests. 

The tabulated account of the present status (1899) of the 



io8 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

University has been prepared for this book by Dr. Chaffee, and 
it shows what a small amount of money would meet its actual 
needs, and put it on a comfortable and self-supporting basis. 
The table is arranged so concisely and intelligently that a clear 
idea may be had of the financial condition. It also opens a 
way to donors, who may object to making bequests at random, 
whereby they may endow a chair, or aid any special depart- 
ment, and have the satisfaction of seeing their money expended 
in the direction, and for the specific purpose, which may have 
enlisted their sympathy and appealed to their judgment. 

With this little sketch the College and its affairs are brought 
up to the present time. I wish that I could conclude this 
account by chronicling a flood-tide in its fortunes. But we 
must be patient and hopeful, and at the same time tenacious 
of our rights, and quick to resent any inroads upon our time- 
honored customs. 

Like the Israelites of old, we are led by a " pillar of cloud 
by day, and a pillar of fire by night." Our faith and courage 
are strong, and we will not allow ourselves to be turned aside 
by false gods or spurious prophets, but we will hold fast to 
the one purpose of upbuilding, upholding, and uplifting the 
interests of our well-loved School, until a vision of prosperity 
dawns on our view, and we behold her merited Canaan. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 109 



CHAPTER XII 

OUR BOYS OF THE SIXTIES 

There is no pencil true enough to tell the story of ** Our 
Boys," who, in the first flush of early manhood, gave them- 
selves without reserve to the service of their " Mother Land," 
and threw to the winds all selfish thoughts of home, education, 
and future advancement. No paper white enough is woven 
whereon we may write of their privations and suffering, their 
starving and freezing, their agonies on the battle-field, and 
their languishing in hospitals. 

The story of the Civil War, and many of its incidents, seems 
like a fairytale to the youth of to-day; and you hear them 
sighing, when a little touched with ennui, for a war where 
they may slay and slaughter and cover themselves with 
glory. They think of the splendor of the contest, the glitter 
of arms, the boom of cannon, and the waving of banners. It 
is not strange that war seems so attractive to them, for they 
know nothing of the pillaging and plundering, the loss of life, 
the blighted homes, and the far-reaching consequences of such a 
national disaster. Indeed, it is a mercy that the pall of gloom 
has been lifted from our land. That is what all the good 
bothers and sisters prayed for so earnestly. It would be a 
pity to forever shadow the lives of the young with the flags 
draped in crape, and to sadden their hearts for all time with 
the solemn strains of the ' ' Dead March " in " Saul. " It is not 
that I wish to upbraid them for lightness of spirit, for that is 
their birthright, and the land is fair and peaceful to conduce 
to their happiness; but that they may for a moment catch 
a glimpse of the distress and woe which reigned in the sixties, 
and draw a breath of thankfulness that those days are past, 



no A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

and offer a prayer of gratitude for the services which left them 
a country united, victorious, and floating a flag which protected 
in freedom every soul under its brave colors. 

Vividly do those pictures of the first days of the war come 
back to me ; and I seem to hear again the awestricken voices, 
the hum of discussion, and see the blanched and anxious faces 
of men and women who realized that it was a time of great 
and growing peril. Plainly I see the recruiting office with its 
gallant-looking men in charge, and the little squad of citizens 
always huddling in a dazed sort of way about its door, discuss- 
ing the serious question, " To go, or not to go ? " Every now 
and then a man with his convictions settled would walk up the 
steps and disappear, coming out in a little while with a firm, 
determined look which showed he would soon shoulder a 
weapon of warfare. 

The early Ohio regiments were the first that interested me. 
I regarded all the stir as something delightful. I did not quite 
like the set, sad look I saw on many familiar faces, but thought 
that might be their way of showing interest. When an en- 
campment was established in our County Fair Grounds, the 
millennium seemed to have come. Such soldiers! such music I 
such marching and drilling! the tents and camp-fires! and 
the " dear " little canteens! what a delight to drink from 
the queer, little fiat things ! — that is, it was a delight until 
a frolicsome son of Mars passed one around which smelled 
as if it had spent the night in a " moonshiner's " still, 
and tasted even worse than it smelled. Then there were the 
camp concerts and prayer meetings, the picnics and " sewing 
bees." But all the fun and glory vanished when marching 
orders came. Tears bathed the faces of citizens and soldiers ; 
mothers fainted, and sweethearts wailed. Even then, though 
their hearts were almost broken, and they thought they had 
all they could bear, they knew little of real woe and distress ; 
that was all before them. Ah ! it was a sad, sad day when the 
first lad in my native town was brought home for burial. It 
was a time of general mourning. The casket containing all 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS iii 

that was left of the brave young fellow was carried to the 
court-house, wrapped in the Stars and Stripes, his sword 
keeping guard over his breast. The stores and shops were 
closed, and the streets were filled with sorrowing friends. 
The gloom of that sad time left an impression upon my mem- 
ory which will never fade. I realized the " horrors of war." 
Then it was thought but few would be sacrificed, that the 
trouble would soon blow over, and that peace would be 
restored. But no such happy solution in the near future 
awaited us. Soon came the call for the " Hundred Day " 
men ; and, later on, the conscription, the forming of colored 
regiments, the reenlistment of those who had gone for three 
years ; until the nation's best blood was poured in streams on 
the altar of patriotism. The history of one loyal State is prac- 
tically the history of all. The marching away of the*troops in 
one town brought the same sort of heartache experienced when 
farewells were spoken in a hamlet a thousand miles away. 
East and West, among the rich and poor, the grief was the 
same. 

Our own little College has a record for loyalty that cannot 
be surpassed, in that she gave all that she had. In 1861, when 
the School was at the height of its prosperity, the echo of the 
big guns down at Sumter rolled over the hills and valleys 
of this country, sweeping across Iowa's wide prairies, spread- 
ing the alarm, and filling every honest breast with indignant 
amazement. It did not seem possible that we were to be 
involved in war, though it was thought this insult to the gov- 
ernment would soon be wiped out and avenged. But the 
affair speedily resolved itself into a settled calamity that 
nothing could avert. At the first tap of the drum, before the 
smoking rebel guns had time to cool, Iowa rose up and offered 
her services with prompt patriotism, and began fitting men for 
the field. The Big Bell in the College tower rang out a call for 
volunteers, loud and long. For hours it tolled, pealing forth 
in its clear, strong tones the cry of the nation in distress, of a 
race in bondage, of a " house divided against itself," of war 



112 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

and bloodshed, of stress and disaster. Already deeply inter- 
ested in national affairs, the students of the College felt the 
thrill of the all-pervading current ; the first touch threw them 
into a state of intense excitement. When war was declared, 
the feeling was at white heat; political discussions with the 
arguments mostly on one side took the time which was usually 
given to books. It was impossible to be interested in any- 
thing that did not concern public matters ; and the feeling 
of patriotism ran so high that regular study was out of the 
question. 

There were nearly four hundred students in the School; 
among them one hundred and twenty-five young men. One 
by one they made up their minds that duty called them to the 
front; until all had gone but two who were not eligible for 
service ; and this was in face of the fact that troops were being 
offered all over the country faster than they could be mustered 
in and equipped. Early in May the boys began to enlist. A 
room in the College building was set apart for them, and they 
commenced to drill and prepare for actual service. On the 2 1st 
of May the first enlistment of soldiers went to Knoxville (the 
county seat) to join their company. From there they were 
ordered to Keokuk for their first encampment. Their names 
are familiar to you all: Albert Hobbs, W. A. Stuart, Warren 
Olney, E. F. Sperry, J. F. Rhoades, Will Sumner, Eli Lind- 
say, Herman Bousquet, W. O. Parrish, John and Joseph 
Ruckman, Sylvester Howell, and Alonzo Keables — a gallant 
band of college boys, leaving home to take part in something 
more serious than anything which had yet come into their 
lives, each with the image of the loved ones at home engraven 
on his heart, and with a courage and bravery only born of 
youth and its intrepidity. The community was shaken from 
centre to circumference. With heavy hearts it gave of its 
strength and vigor. The flower of its youth was offered up 
on loyalty's altar, even as the Hebrew father laid his only son 
on the fagots of wood ; but no lamb came as a welcome sacri- 
fice to save them from the hard, trying fortunes before them. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 113 

With all this grief and distress, there was not wanting a pride 
in the boys who had not waited to be formally called upon to 
shoulder their muskets in their country's defence. Not even 
when the splendid Seventh Regiment of the New York militia 
turned out over eleven hundred men, more than it has on any 
gala day before or since, and, with a full band at its head, 
marched down Broadway to the Battery, on its way to Wash- 
ington to protect that threatened city, did enthusiasm reach a 
higher pitch or feelings flow in fuller torrents. Every heart 
was a-quiver, every soul was filled with fire. Nothing else was 
talked of. The town-meetings were full of interest. No matter 
how a sermon began, it ended with the only theme which was 
engaging public interest or was then worth talking about. 
This was the first break in the College ranks. By tl^ close of 
the school year in June, every young man who was of proper 
age had gone into some one of Uncle Sam's regiments of 
blue-coats, and had begun life in real earnest. Professor 
Currier, whose heart had been aching to follow the flag in its 
journey South, at the close of the spring term of school, en- 
listed, and joined the Eighth Iowa Infantry. Our boys were so 
early in the field that we find their names on the rosters of the 
First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Iowa 
Infantry regiments. Later on they joined the regiments 
formed wherever they happened to enlist. In the autumn of 
1862 the Thirty-third Iowa Regiment was organized, and went 
into camp at Oskaloosa. The Central students in this regi- 
ment were: John McCleod, William McCulloch, Orville Dun- 
nington, H. D. Aikins, J. C. Baker, Henry Bousquet, Corne- 
lius Canine, Thomas Cox, W. H. Downing, John S. Morgan, 
E. H. Perkins, Julius M. A. Peters, William Rankin, Andrew 
Sperry, I. N. Ritner, Chas. Sharman, George W. Towne, T. 
J. Vinyard, D. C. Wilson, E. M. Woods, and N. O. Moore. 
This was the second encampment which I had seen in full 
swing; and it was just as gay as the first. Nothing about it 
indicated that there were any forebodings as to the future. 
The parades and exercises seemed to be for the entertainment 



114 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

of the visitors, who went in flocks from all the surrounding 
counties. A great many expeditions were planned for a day's 
frolic at Camp Tuttle by the College boys and girls, and 
carried out. A rush of happy memories comes back to me, 
and will doubtless to many a student of Old Central, of the 
walks and drives, the luncheons and dinners served in the 
mess by the boys who had gone from Pella. It seemed an 
ideal life ; and it was hard to realize that it was meant for any- 
thing more serious than a colossal picnic, or that there was 
any dire significance in the blue coat, the long roll, and the 
other sights and sounds that made the place so attractive. 
But it was not long until the regiment was ordered South, and 
many of the farewells then spoken were forever and aye. 

Before me lies a copy of the war number of the Central 
Ray, published in 1887, and compiled with great skill and 
care by Cyrenus Cole, then a senior in the College, lately a 
valued member of the editorial staff of the Iowa State Reg- 
ister, and now part owner and editor of the Cedar Rapids 
Times-Republican. It is teeming with interest, and stirs the 
heart's blood as it tells of the days of carnage and warfare 
in the words of old students who had lived to tell their expe- 
riences. 

First comes a letter from Dr. Scarff, setting forth the status 
of the School in 1861, and of its lonely existence while the 
" trump of war " took precedence over the College bell. 

Then one from Professor Currier, telling something of the 
boys who went out early, and of their fate on the field and in 
prison ; how the first squad of recruits which went begged him 
to go with them ; and how, afterward, he wished he had done 
so (although he was only a few weeks behind them). 

Next comes Emery Sperry's letter, with a sketch of camp 
life, and a confession of the homesickness of a boy who had 
left behind one of the loveliest of mothers. It is enough to 
break one's heart to read of the march to the front on that 
bloody first day at Shiloh; and to follow the description of the 
crushing of his leg by a ball; of the pain and suffering, and the 



^ 









I 



^^^ 



GROUP NINE. 




AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 115 

feeling that it would soon be all over with him ; of the chloro- 
form, the surgeon's knife, the amputation, and the coming 
back to a waking agony. Those of us who know of the weeks 
and months of suffering after his return to the North can tell 
a story of his pluck and courage that cannot be told of every 
wounded man. 

Then we have " Recollections of the Signal Service " from 
the racy pen of Herman Bousquet, and for a moment we for- 
get the dismal part of war in the skilful little sketch he gives 
of the working of that corps. We see that every once in a 
while there came to a soldier's life times when the spirit would 
rise above all solemnity, and jokes meet with as much success 
as in times of less moment. 

" A Student's Trip in Dixie Land," by Henry Curtis, is 
full of interest. Having been captured at Shiloh, and turned 
over to the mercies, or rather cruelties, of a rebel prison in 
company with Will Sumner, John McCleod, and Robert Ryan 
of the College boys, and hosts of other unfortunates, he tells 
of the life in bondage, of his escape, and of his being hunted 
by bloodhounds, and recaptured while he and Will Sumner 
were striking out for freedom and Yankee land. 

" The Battle of Shiloh," by Warren Olney, gives us a pic- 
ture of the field of battle, and of the array of hosts; tells of 
the mistakes of leadership, and gives some reflections on the 
lessons of the battle which present to us a vivid representation 
of the misfortunes of war, and the importance of knowing 
the mind of an enemy better than he knows it himself. Fight- 
ing in the ranks from start to finish, his keen eye took in all 
the points about which there has been so much debate, and 
his showing of the working of the troops, and their assign- 
ments, throws much light upon a subject which will ever be 
rich in interest. The battle of Shiloh cost our Alma Mater 
dearly. Albert Hobbs and young Vanderkolk were killed; 
Emery Sperry and W. A. Stuart severely wounded ; several 
captured ; and all in Company B of the Third Iowa Regiment 
bruised and battle-worn. 



Ii6 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Then there is a Httle sketch of Homer Jewett and his work 
in the Secret Service. Having let his hair grow long, with his 
dark, handsome face he readily passed for a Southerner. 
Going through the war with credit, he entered upon the busi- 
ness of buying and shipping cotton. Suddenly letters from 
him ceased coming, and from that time to this the fate of the 
brave Homer Jewett has been one of the mysteries no one 
seems able to fathom. His aged mother is yet living, and will 
never cease to hope for tidings of him. 

A patriotic little poem by Andrew Sperry recalls the " Vol- 
unteer Days." Sylvia Sperry, too, wrote some stirring verses 
during war times. 

There is a short account of the capture of Charlie McCul- 
lough. He was color-bearer in the Eighth Iowa Infantry, and 
had his flag shot to tatters at Shiloh, the staff being cut 
through by a ball passing close to his head. Several of the 
"color-guard " were killed. With nearly all of his regiment, 
he was taken prisoner, and dragged out a terrible six months* 
existence under the man who should have had a thousand lives 
and every one of them ended with torture, that execrable tyrant 
and fiend, Wirz. Charlie lived through it all, and when he 
was released, his regiment was again organized, and a new 
stand of colors given to his charge. 

Among the letters in this interesting collection is one from 
dear Barbara Stuart, whose beautiful brown eyes have closed 
to earthly scenes, and whose joyous, merry life has left such a 
world of delightful memories. She writes of her sojourn in 
camp with her husband, and renews her vows of faithfulness and 
fondness to the comrades with whom she was then associated. 

There is a short letter, too, from J. A. P. Hampson, who 
was one of the first graduating class sent out from the College, 
completing his course with Herman Bousquet and Alonzo 
Keables in 1861, just in time to leave early for the " field." 
At the close of the war he entered the regular army and 
rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, which of^ce he held at 
the time of his death in 1893. His wife was Miss Sallie 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 117 

Spray, who is well remembered and affectionately spoken of in 
the circle of friends who knew her when she was one of the 
girls of Central. 

When we read the letters, which follow, from nearly a 
dozen of the old war students, briefly telling some little inci- 
dents, or expressing their love for the College, we are filled 
with reflections which mirror the seriousness of those gruesome 
days when we feared the nightfall and the dreams which vis- 
ited us of the terrors of war, and dreaded the breaking of day 
lest we hear of the " camps " having been surprised in the 
night by shot and shell. As we think of the splendid young 
men we sent out and recall the fate of twenty-four of the 
number, our hearts ache with the sorrow of it all, and we 
mourn over the sacrifice of lives which promised so^much for 
the future. Each dear to some one, perhaps to many, his pass- 
ing away meant the going out of the light of happiness of at 
least one fond friend. It meant, for the bereaved, a journey 
on and on without the sustaining love and companionship of 
one who had been the day-star of their existence. The son of 
the house, perhaps, the mother's pride, having come up from 
infancy's tender years, having bent at her knee with the lisp 
of the first prayer, having claimed her love and protection 
through boyhood's frolics and storms, and her confidence 
when his heart began to burn with young love, just verging on 
manhood's estate and its usefulness, he turned from peaceful 
pursuits when the nation's cry of distress rang out its wail. 
Buckling on his armor and " falling in," he was ready for any 
fate, and full of courage he marched away, and left Woe a 
watcher behind. I do not need to give a picture of the sorrow 
and distress, and of the fear of impending evil, which haunted 
every home. The woman at the hearth clears the dregs which 
the merry-makers leave ; and she who waits suffers most. It 
is easier to sally forth and meet any fortune than to sit and 
watch in uncertainty and suspense. I have in mind the 
mother of as gallant a young ofificer as ever wore the " yel- 
low " or buttoned a gauntlet, who rode away cheerfully to 



Ii8 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

meet his fate. The mother paled and paled, the sorrow at her 
heart sapped her life. Gradually sinking from the weight of 
continual apprehension, she slipped from loving hands and 
passed away, worn out with her solitary watch. The light of 
reason was dimmed, the bowl was shattered, and the gentle 
spirit entered into eternal rest. 

Who can say that war is not cruel ? It slays here and there 
with bayonet and grief alike, with sorrow as well as with muni- 
tions of war. Each one who reads can recall some home that 
was broken ; some life whose entire course was changed by 
this circumstance of strife and bloodshed. The glory which a 
nation gains through its victories in war is so thickly welted 
with scars that its brilliancy is sadly dimmed. War is a brutal 
means for deciding differences, and is not in conformity with 
the progress of civilization. Science will eventually put a stop 
to all such barbarism by making the weapons of warfare so 
deadly that entire armies may be swept out of existence by 
the firing of a single battery. Great ships may even now be 
sunk from the distance of many miles. Such wholesale butch- 
ery would soon depopulate a nation, for nothing could stand 
against the operation of such forces. 

This completes the review of the sketches in the War number 
of the Central Ray. I wish I could publish every word of 
them, but I refrain, for the day is not far distant when one 
of the old students will want to collect all this material for a 
book on the soldiers of Central University, and I would not 
want to forestall him in any way. 

As nearly as I can learn, every man enlisted as a private, 
but many left the service with " chevrons " and " bars," 
"silver leaves" and "eagles." Almost every rank was rep- 
resented by them. 

During the absence of this important element of our School 
not a day's work was missed. The little College held right 
on sturdily, and with courage — sometimes there was hardly 
a corporal's guard — and the vacant seats in chapel looked 
lonesome and gloomy. Dr. Scarff and Mrs. Stoddard mar- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS irg 

shalled the little band left behind and kept them at work and 
interested. The pride of the younger girls was stirred to be 
even with the class which went out in its junior year by the 
time the boys should be mustered out and return home. There 
was a great deal of good work done ; but all the while the most 
absorbing subject was the war; and the letters and papers kept 
the interest alive. 

What a joyous day it was when the higher classes filled up 
with big, bronzed, and bearded men ! In the gladness of wel- 
come, strife was forgotten. Weddings and gala occasions took 
the place of prayer meetings and speeches on the " situation." 
The little College blossomed like a field of wild roses. Now 
that we had some bassos and tenors, we gave concerts and sang 
cantatas, and masqueraded as kings and queens, princes and 
fairies. The revulsion of feeling became almost *hysterical; 
everybody smiled; every man shook his neighbor's hand even 
if he met him a score of times a day. Good-looking girls and 
dashing young men began to wander about in " twos." The 
standing for scholarship was not quite so high as it had been, 
and a certain absent-mindedness developed, which was not 
strange under the circumstances. It did not take very long, 
however, for the School to settle down to regular work, after 
the first joyfulness had expended itself. 

Mrs. Stoddard had her hands full with recruits for her depart- 
ment. The study of sciences and languages flourished under 
Dr. Scarff and Professor Currier. A number of new teachers 
were added to the faculty; and the College was once more 
prosperous and well patronized. 

To those who missed the familiar voices and footsteps of the 
boys who were sleeping their last sleep, the days were sad and 
heavy. Something was missing that took the rosy hue from 
life and made the daily round a sorrowful duty. It took a 
long time to become accustomed to seeing others fill the places 
so recently made vacant. The old chapel and the rostrum 
seemed to miss them; and it was hard to believe that their 
ringing tones would no more fill the hall where they had held 



I20 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

the interest of their fellow-students in days gone by. Only 
those who were close in the affections of the bereaved ones 
can tell of the lonely anguish of those first cruel months. Some 
faces rarely smiled, and in some hearts the empty place was 
never filled. 

In the College chapel there stands a tablet sacred to the 
memory of the boys who fell. It is a long list for so young a 
school, and every name is covered with honor. Those names 
chiselled in marble will endure after the loving hearts that 
have treasured their memory shall have returned to dust. We 
were blessed in having such men to give ; thrice blessed are they 
who ofTered themselves in sacrifice and nobly lived the life of 
duty and patriotism. They are even now living in the most 
loving and vivid memory in the homes of the citizens who 
knew them as boys and men, who saw them put on the " blue," 
and grasped their hands in farewell. 

The names of Hobbs, the Ruckman boys, and others are as 
familiar now as if their owners had only yesterday been drill- 
ing on the College campus. Our people have shown a wonder- 
ful loyalty to the " Boys of the Sixties ; " and many generations 
will come and go before the lustre of their fame will become in 
the least dim. It is fitting that they should be remembered, 
for they, and such as they, saved a nation, and erased from 
her escutcheon the only blot which ever disfigured it. Peace 
to their dear remains, and a loving benediction upon their 
memory ! 










i 



J^ * 







GROUP TEN 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 121 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE COUNTRY COLLEGE 

Modestly but firmly the institution known as the " Coun- 
try College " has made its way. It has not been without its 
friends or enemies, and it has had something of a struggle in 
reaching a place where it could command universal respect. 
Now it is so safely established, and has so clearly demonstrated 
its usefulness, and the necessity for its existence is so evident, 
that arguments against sustaining the smaller interests it rep- 
resents seem unkind and selfish. The great wisdom of putting 
the opportunity for education within the reach of those anx- 
ious to obtain a share of the great harvest of learning, wdio 
would otherwise be shut out from its bounty, is no longer 
questioned. In our spacious land the small college springs up 
in answer to demand, and we have as a result many flourishing 
and prosperous places of learning. These schools are not 
usurpers of rights belonging to others, but they find a perfect 
work in the open field which lies between the high school and 
the large university which should have in its lecture-rooms 
only mature young men whose ability for self-government and 
understanding has been developed ; men studying because 
they feel the need of intellectual equipment. 

The college or university in the quiet town, free from the 
allurements of the city, presents a safe and happy solution of 
the problem of education for the larger number of students 
who desire college training, and furnishes that which is needed 
for young men who know nothing of life, and have so much to 
learn outside of book lore. 

In the great colleges, presidents, professors, and tutors be- 
come so wrapped up in themselves, their special work and 



122 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

hobbies, that it has grown to be almost a matter of pride with 
them that they know none of their pupils by sight or name ; 
and they therefore have no idea of their aims, ambitions, or 
inclinations. It would be provincial to presume that the pres- 
ident of a great school should, or could, know all who are 
under his care. The impossibility of this shows clearly that 
a young man, entering the ranks, should by training be pre- 
pared to stand alone ; to think and act for himself, and to have 
his course so planned that he can at once take up his work 
with appreciation, and without loss of time. 

Direct tuition, close guardianship, and personal attention 
can never be given in these great, unwieldy institutions. 
Thus a boy who is not well-poised and possessed of some 
wisdom in the ways of the world, in addition to the acquire- 
ment of his college " fitting," will find himself in a maelstrom 
without compass or chart. The fine training schools of the 
East offer their advantages to those who can avail themselves 
of them ; but alas ! they are much like the great colleges, and 
offer little in the way of personal supervision and moral influ- 
ence. They are, aside from this, an impossibility to the 
average man beyond the Mississippi who has a number of 
children to whom he wishes to give equal advantages. Here 
the country college finds its sphere. It is usually a denomina- 
tional school, with a corps of ministers, deacons, and " lay 
members " to look after its interests. The moral tone is fine, 
the president and faculty keenly alive to their calling and 
attentive to their duties. Every pupil is known by every in- 
structor; a personal friendship exists between them, and there 
is no possibility of a student going wrong without the fact 
being known, and usually in time to prevent a calamity. 

There can be no doubt of the benefits obtained from the 
personal contact and class association of the teachers and 
pupils. The president of a small college is usually a man 
well equipped for his work, full of new ideas and educational 
plans, anxious to try new methods which he has been evolv- 
ing, having at heart the best interests of the young people 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 123 

under his care. He takes pride in his work, and works to 
please. College officials in the West hold their places only- 
while they meet the needs of an institution. Frequently, how- 
ever, a young president outgrows the ability of the school to 
hold his services, for small colleges usually have very meagre 
endowments, and cannot compete where increase in salary is 
offered. The corps of teachers is selected with great care in 
these modest, unpretending schools; no one is employed for 
friendship's sake, but for what he or she can do; there are no 
sub-teachers or tutors, who know but little more than the 
pupils themselves, and are only wise in the one thing they are 
teaching, A student is entitled to the benefits to be obtained 
from an instructor who is ripe and rounded in intellectual de- 
velopment, full of vigor, and capable of inspiring ambition. 
Absorbing, as we do unconsciously, from those with whom we 
come in contact, we gain or lose as our opportunities offer. 
When a young collegian puts himself in the hands of his mas- 
ter, he has a right to look forward to an association filled with 
profit, to the benefits to be obtained from close contact with 
men of erudition and strong mentality who can give him some- 
thing which is necessary to his improvement, not to be found 
alone in text-books. It is of untold value to young students 
to be under the care of those who have mingled with men and 
women of culture, and who know the road to knowledge 
thoroughly. 

In a conversation with Dr. Albert Shaw, the superb young 
editor of the Review of Reviews, he gave expert testimony 
of the value of the country college. Dr. Shaw is a litterateur, 
an authority on municipal government in this country and 
Europe, and a practical thinker. His words will carry weight 
and command attention. Graduated himself from Iowa Col- 
lege, Grinnell, Iowa, and later taking the degree of Ph.D. 
from Johns Hopkins University, his views are drawn from 
experience. 

" The fact that the country college is manned, or at least 
reinforced each year by enthusiastic young men from large 



124 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Eastern schools, where they have fitted themselves with the 
idea of filling professorships, is a strong point in favor of the 
advantages there to be obtained. They come with the fervor 
of men who have been studying for this very thing for years, 
and are happy to be putting their theories into practice, and 
to feel themselves self-sustaining probably for the first time in 
their lives. When this first rush of enthusiasm has expended 
itself, they reap the reward of their efficient work, and are 
called to a higher and better-known school, where the work is 
lighter, the pay better, and which gives them the opportunity 
they have been longing for: to revise text-books, or to present 
something of their own. They soon fall into fossilized ways, 
and acquire the rustle of ripe grain, which is not so inspiring 
to youth as the verdure and bloom of the spring-time. In 
turn, the college thus bereft, imports a new professor from 
Harvard or Yale, and the work goes on." 

The cheapness of living and the absence of the distractions 
which infest large university towns, he gives as other and good 
reasons why a boy in his callow years should be placed where 
he can gradually become accustomed to the independence of 
college life, and ripen somewhat in character before launch- 
ing upon a sea where he must be his own pilot and helmsman. 
Dr. Shaw believes thoroughly in the genus boy, and gave his 
ideas on the subject in a sincere manner, which shows his keen 
interest in the rising generation of scholars. 

I have been intensely interested and edified in reading the 
chapter on "Universities" in "The American Common- 
wealth," by James Bryce. Upon the whole, Mr. Bryce has 
treated us pretty well, and given us credit for having made a 
good deal of progress in a comparatively short time. He was 
a little fearful lest his opinions should be colored by the glow 
and warmth of his reception when he came among us; but he 
is such a clear-brained man and thinker that it does not seem 
possible that he could have been mystified or deceived upon 
any important points. He compliments us by drawing com- 
parisons between our leading universities and those in England, 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 125 

and between our lesser institutions and the Gymnasia in Ger- 
many and the Lycees in France. He plainly looks askance at 
our little colleges which are the salvation of our "Western and 
Southern States, and would weed them out if he could. He 
thinks their multiplicity betokens a shiftlessness in sustaining- 
larger and greater schools. A man who lives on a little water- 
bound island cannot, perhaps, be expected to realize the 
needs of a country whose possessions extend over such a vast 
expanse of territory, nearly all in one body. We cannot hope 
that he can ever appreciate entirely the magnificence of our 
distances, or know just why we need more seats of learning 
than we would if we were able to survey our entire premises in 
two or three days' travel. While our population is not strug- 
gling in poverty and squalor, we are as yet a young people, 
with no money to spare among the masses. Our distances are 
so great that it takes a large share of the amount required for 
a year's tuition in any one of our leading universities to travel 
from the centre to either seaboard of our continent. This 
means a great deal to the man of moderate circumstances who 
may have several sons whom he wishes to educate, and as 
many ambitious daughters. To send them all from the Missis- 
sippi to Harvard or Stanford would absorb nearly all of his 
yearly income for transportation alone. Even to send them 
from the border of a great State like Iowa to a college in its 
centre would cost more than his modest means could encom*- 
pass. So he must depend upon institutions nearer home. 

The mass of Americans have great intelligence ; we are pos- 
sessed of no pauper classes ; nearly every parent has the ambi- 
tion to educate his children. Every lad is determined to go as 
far in the pursuit of knowledge as his means will carry him; 
and every girl would like to excel her brother. There would 
be no way to foster these ambitions if the little country col- 
leges were not dotted over the hills and prairies like daisies. 
They can hardly become too numerous, for the supply will be 
regulated by the demand. The wonderful work and the 
amount of good done by these busy institutions no one can 



126 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

ever compute; but the growing intelligence in the communities 
which support these schools gives some idea of the advance 
being made. Whenever possible, the graduates of the small 
college go up, step by step, until they have run the course of 
the State universities and more comprehensive colleges of the 
Eastern States. Without the nourishing of the smaller ambi- 
tions in the home college, few pupils would have the courage 
to aspire to greater things. In everything there is growth, 
and in nothing more than in intellectual strength. We can 
hope for greater mental development if in each stage the work 
is sound, the advance steady, and the student fully awake to 
his interests. A pupil well prepared for college life is never 
a source of trouble, but of satisfaction to his instructors ; and 
he is able to profit by all which comes to him in his college 
career. If preliminary work were more carefully considered, 
there would be a smaller per cent, of college shipwrecks, and 
the course would not seem so full of difificulties, and a credit- 
able standing so hard to obtain. The country college is thor- 
ough and painstaking, and carefully fits its students for the 
larger school. 

Our small colleges are recruited in a large measure from the 
agricultural ranks. The young farmer who aspires to higher 
education would find himself dazed, even were he well fitted as 
to his studies, if he should proceed at once from the quiet life, 
in which his opportunities have been limited, to the crowded 
halls of our great schools. With no knowledge of urban rules 
and amenities, and no previous college drill, he would be slow 
to catch the college spirit, and would lose much valuable time. 
The country college, with its corps of Eastern teachers, takes 
the boy from the farm having the fragrance of the clover still 
hanging about him, and gradually prepares him for more polite 
surroundings and exacting requirements. It is too much to 
ask of a young man to form the acquaintance of Homer and 
Horace, Xenophon and Euripides, and the big, wide, unknown 
world at one and the same time. 

Every possibility, every position, is open to the man who 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 127 

fits himself for its responsibilities, in our country. Our repub- 
lican principles demand that generous opportunity shall be 
given for his equipment. Our great men are more than apt to 
come from the ranks, our leaders from the file. We have no 
limitations, no classes ; and by our multiplication of the 
classical schools and colleges, we have brought within 
the reach of the most humble the means of educating himself 
liberally. 

There is justice in the complaint that instructors, of the 
present day, the world over, have lost the power to create 
enthusiasm for study, to fill the minds of their pupils with a 
love of research, a zest in the pursuit of knowledge, and a 
delight in its acquisition. The human mind is naturally eager 
and alive to questions and issues; it wants to know of the 
progress of the world — how it has made its history ;*how it is 
formed ; what is above it and what below it ; it is feverish in 
its haste to acquire tongues ; to learn of customs, localities, and 
objects of interest. It is all of this when left to itself; but 
there is something in the mummified systems of teaching 
which makes the acquiring of an education most frequently a 
" hard grind " from first to last. And this is more lamentably 
the fact in the greater schools in our own country than in the 
lesser. It is audacious, I presume, to suggest that Harvard, 
Yale, Princeton, and other leading educational institutions 
have gathered upon their hallowed grounds hundreds of bright 
young men whom they utterly fail to interest ; who bid adieu 
to their Alma Mater either before or at the close of their col- 
lege course with undisguised joy; and only relish their college 
days as a memory when they discourse of their " delights " at 
alumni dinners and foot-ball games. There is something 
wrong in a system which does not make work as attractive as 
play. There are a few young men with minds strongly marked, 
and individual, who work out their own course in a calm, judi- 
cial way, steer clear of anything which draws from the main 
object, have an inborn love of study, and apply themselves 
as a matter of conscience. Such young men will make their 



128 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

own way, and would do so if there were not an institution of 
learning in the land. For the average youth who finds no 
charm in any four walls, detests heated rooms and closed 
doors, would rather be in the forks of an appte tree reading a 
light book than in the highest seat of learning, there seems to 
be no charming influence, no winning force, to make his course 
a delight and a necessity. 

Those who have a knowledge of the needs of the young, 
and are closely associated with them, must be looked to for 
reform in this matter; it is a serious and unwelcome condi- 
tion of the last thirty years. We want more young people 
studying because they realize the inefficiency of ignorance, 
and covet the riches obtainable only from the treasure stores 
of science, literature, and art. If interest is not kept alive, 
there will be no application in the case of many; without 
application, there can be no progress. The small college can 
better foster a young student's power than the large univer- 
sity; the work can be more individual, and it is in the ability 
of the less pretentious local college to trim and feed the small 
lamp, which would be utterly snuffed out and lost sight of in 
more crowded halls. 

A large per cent, of our ruling minds in the business, polit- 
ical, and even the literary world have been trained in the modest 
college, in the quiet town ; several distinguished men, who 
have occupied the Executive chair, have been graduates of 
small schools. 

The country college has its use. Its thoroughness, cheap- 
ness, and fine moral tone commend it to our judgment; as a 
civilizer and promoter of general intelligence it is a necessity. 
It in no way conflicts with the large colleges, but fills their 
lecture-rooms, instead of depleting them. It leads straight 
into their splendid avenues of learning, and prepares its hosts 
for the feasts spread in their halls of wisdom. 

Let us nourish, protect, and increase the usefulness of the 
country college, which invites the rich and the lowly, from 
hamlet and city, to profit by its existence. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 129 

Des Moines, Iowa. 

It is with pleasure, and from experience, that I say a few words about 
the advantages of " Country Colleges," for one of which Mrs. Stoddard has 
spent so many of the best years of her life. 

To the question, " What is a college ? " it seems fitting to say, it is, 
and ought to be, preeminently a leavening power. A country college is, 
briefly, one which draws to itself and assimilates the town, and not one 
which the town has attracted. In this relation the growth of overshadow- 
ing interests is not fostered, and most of the distracting and demoralizing 
influences of mammonism and vice are prevented. 

College courses being generally the same, the advantages in any school 
will consist in the support given to the course and in the attendant college 
sport and life. A "diamond in the rough" is agreeably disappointed by 
finding, in the country college, a hearty brotherhood which soon dispels 
his childish fears of a college aristocracy, while in the city he may have 
been bewildered by the customs of college life, which are too puny to 
resist the encroachments of so-called " high society." If he is n%t warned 
in time, he is likely to take the shadow for the substance, and be drawn 
into the vortex of fast society. Thus it appears that the number of the 
fittest who survive is most encouragingly large in one of the smaller col- 
leges. Here is woven a fabric which defies time. Here the master friend- 
ship strikes its roots deepest. To a certain limit, the smaller the class the 
more benefit the student receives from the recitation and from the pro- 
fessor, for, after all, inspiration by personal contact is the great educator. 

Again, cheap provisions and fewer requirements for appearances make 
expenses low, thus enabling the Websters, Grants, and Garfields of the 
surrounding country to develop their talent and make good their claims 
to the greatness of noble service. 

Too sadly true is it that many a bright student, who has graduated 
with honor, makes a miserable failure of life ; often he has not had devel- 
oped the powers of organization and management. Every college has its 
paper, with its various departments, its literary societies, its annuals, its 
oratorical, Christian, and athletic associations, for the success of all of 
which the student is responsible. In a small college, every student has 
some part in the management of these things, and the performance of it 
fits him for the weightier duties of life. That reciprocal interest and asso- 
ciation between the college and the town are essential to the normal 
growth of the college, no one can deny. That this mutuality may reach 
its development when the college is the greatest interest in the town, no 
one can doubt. That this is true all must concede who are acquainted 
with the history of Oxford, Harvard, Washington, Lee, Dartmouth, Yale, 
University of Virginia, Hamilton (now Colby), Michigan State University, 
9 



I30 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

and many other celebrated Colleges and Universities. In solitude we gain 
power, in the rush of life we use it, and there seems to be an eternal fit- 
ness in having the young mind grow in the quiet naturalness, where man 
must dwell if he would get close to nature's heart. 

Fred E. Morgan, 



OsKALOOSA, Iowa. 

One of the blessings of nature is that the sun shines on the valley the 
same as on the mountain-top ; not so directly, but as potently and enrich- 
ingly. One of the blessings of mental culture is that it grows, not alone on 
the highest boughs of the tree of knowledge, but with equal and some- 
times greater bestowment of gifts on the unpretentious and inconspicuous 
branches beneath. 

It is a cause for world-wide gratification and hope that the great insti- 
tutions of learning on earth have no monoply of the culture and training 
of the human mind. The greatest intellects that have existed drew their 
mental sustenance, not from the finished and elaborate highways of learn- 
ing, but from quiet and reposeful nooks and byways, where the heart of 
nature interposes no artificial barrier to the wisdom-thirst of man. 

To one educated in the valley, and who knows the deep and stimulat- 
ing draught there offering, it is a pleasure and a duty to bear testimony 
to the splendid service of the smaller colleges and of the wholesome and 
fruitful character of the work done. 

The college whose noble work this volume is to typify and perpetuate 
is one of these smaller institutions, but from it has flowed a broad stream 
of influential and ennobling character and life, that has gone into the 
citizenship of State and nation in a steady and revivifying current. 

One of the vital factors in its work, has been the broad-brained, great- 
hearted, nobly poised woman whose life these pages illumine ; and to her 
duty she brought, as a willing sacrifice, the labors of her head and the 
devotion of her heart in such measure of "lives made better" as has 
secured for her eternal title to that " choir invisible, whose music is the 
gladness of the world." 

Pauline Given Swalm. 

Iowa College, 

Grinnell, Iowa, October 22, 1894. 

Though it was not my privilege to come under the personal influence 

of Mrs. Stoddard in the days when she was a sympathizing guide to all 

the students at Old Central, still I can comply honestly and gladly 

with your request for a word of testimony to the abiding value of her 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 131 

work in and for the College. Even we students of a later generation 
always looked up to her with an affection not unmixed with reverence as 
the Mother of the College, a sort of personification of Alma Mater in 
herself, the best representative to us of that cheerful, self-sacrificing help- 
fulness without which the College could not have existed ; and her gentle 
and hopeful words, spoken at " Commencement " gatherings, or on other 
rare occasions, never left us unmoved. 

It is quite the fashion nowadays for wealthy and thoroughly equipped 
institutions to sneer at the " Country College." Poor as it often is in 
endowment and facilities, and burdened often with a misfit name, it has 
been, and is still, an element of priceless value in the production of all that 
is best in American citizenship ; and I do not hesitate to affirm that it has 
contributed as much to form the " salt of the earth " in this country as 
any other institution, after the Christian home. Some people are just 
beginning to find out, to their astonishment, that a great many things 
essential to a college or a university cannot be bought, even with millions. 
There is no plutocratic, royal road to character, without whicn institu- 
tions as well as men are either worthless or pernicious ; that this is a 
thing which must be nurtured, developed, gro'W7i, through years of toil 
and loving service. And in this fact lies the immense importance of the 
Country College, founded under Christian auspices, nobly endowed with 
the faith and love and self-giving of many an earnest man and woman ; an 
endowment far more permanent and effective than riches, which may make 
themselves wings or equipments, which may be swept away by wind or fire. 

There is another fact which gives added importance to the Country 
College. It is the fact that, out of the country are the issues of life to the 
nation. Statistics show, as might be argued on other grounds, that city 
conditions necessarily lead to deterioration ; that in the great centers of 
population, with the indraught of life from the outside, there is a constant 
and inevitable downdraught. It is therefore doubly essential that the 
sources of life in the country should be kept pure and wholesome ; and 
one of the mightiest agencies to this effect is the Country College, which 
impresses its character upon a host of young people, who, but for such 
institutions near at hand and offering their advantages to the slender 
purses, would fail both of education and of an impulse to the highest liv- 
ing and the noblest activity. Such has been the influence and the work 
of our Alma Mater at Pella ; and I am glad to join with hundreds of 
others in grateful recognition of the benefit I have received from her. 
Long may the College continue to be blest by the sympathy and the ser- 
vice of such friends as Mrs. Stoddard, who have made it what it is. 

Very sincerely, 

John S. Nollen. 



132 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 



CHAPTER XIV 

EQUALITY IN EDUCATION 
" If thou art as wise as I and I as keen as thou, why not ? " 

For the women of our country we ask the same advan- 
tages in education enjoyed by ambitious and progressive men. 
Nothing less than the most liberal opportunities will meet 
their requirements ; for they have awakened to the fact that 
woman's talents have long slumbered, and that they live in a 
day when much is expected of them. 

For years a revolutionary movement as to the manner of 
educating women has been progressing. Now the matter 
seems to be pretty well settled, and is assuming a definite 
form. There are few at this writing so narrow-minded as to 
openly protest against college educations for the daughters of 
our families ; but there are many who doubt sincerely the wis- 
dom of it, and feel that women abandon the gentler graces 
when they aspire to higher education and devote much time 
to the training of their minds. 

Tastes and opinions differ so widely as to what is most 
charming in woman that it is well worth while to consider the 
matter carefully; for nothing outweighs in importance the 
sustaining of sweet and harmonious relations between man and 
woman, and the duties of domesticity which fall to woman's 
share in life's problems. If it could be shown that liberal 
knowledge made poor housewives and uncongenial compan- 
ions, the desire to see women cultivating their minds and 
keeping even with their brothers and husbands, would be set 
at rest forever. 

That they may be more accomplished and skilful as home- 




GROUP ELEVEN. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 133 

makers, more delightful as entertainers, and more intelligent 
as listeners, if for no other reasons, I crave for women a way- 
broad and shining in the light of intellectual advance where 
they shall be made welcome as factors and equals. I have 
yet to see a woman of ability and fine education who is not, 
at all times and in all places, the center of intelligent interest, 
no matter how plain she may be or how niggardly nature has 
been to her in physical charms. She holds her friendships 
among the better and choicer class. A woman who has only 
beauty of form and feature, with her mental capacity unde- 
veloped, her thought-world peopled only with echoes, fades 
out of sight when her roses pale ; she has nothing to supple- 
ment youth and its buoyancy, has laid by for old age no store 
with which to enrich her years of maturity and failing physical 
beauty and strength. 

Instead of lessening the chances of domestic happiness, an 
educated woman is more apt to fill the home with joy and 
peace than if she. were in her old-time state of ignorance. She 
will have married because she chooses so to do, and not be- 
cause of her inability to sustain herself; conscious of her own 
powers, she listened to the promptings of her heart, and 
selected a companion who either is or is not her equal, as 
nature perchance has endowed him. She does not feel herself 
forced into marriage, or regard it as a foregone conclusion 
from the hour of her birth, but as a voluntary offering of her- 
self and her abilities to the man who has won her love. There 
can be no perfect comradeship or ideal union without equally 
disciplined and cultivated minds. 

Early in this century, and all the way through the last, a 
woman who dared to signify a desire for mental improvement 
was looked upon as reaching beyond her right and defying all 
of nature's laws. By the authorities of those days she was 
rated in the intellectual scale far below man ; and it was con- 
sidered presumption for her to aspire to anything beyond look- 
ing beautiful, and pleasing her " lord and master." Even so 
gifted a woman as Mrs. Jameson, as shown in her " Character- 



134 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

istics of Women," found an essential difference in the quality 
of woman's mind as compared with that of man, and says: 
" The intellect of woman bears the same relation to that of 
man's as her physical organization ; it is inferior in power and 
different in kind." She does not recognize the theory that 
" there is no sex in mind." 

Mary Wollstonecraft, deeper and intellectually richer than 
almost any writer of her day, deplored the mental condition of 
her sex, and acknowledged its inferiority, which she felt was 
the result of the influence surrounding it from time immemorial, 
and not of natural inherent quality of the mind. She hoped 
for all things in the future for her sisters, and considered their 
rights inalienable, and their uplifting only a matter of time 
and patience. Considering them unequal as far as their status 
at the time was concerned, she still set her purpose toward 
their development, and made for them the strongest plea that 
has ever been made, in her " Vindication of the Rights of 
Woman." She never ceased in her efforts to raise them to 
an equality with man, socially, politically, and intellectually. 
Were all the work which has been done for the elevation of 
woman concentrated in one mighty force, it could not equal 
the power which this strong, sagacious intellect put forth in her 
behalf over one hundred years ago. She had everything to 
battle against, the men of her time, and the weight of opinion 
as expressed in the writings of the day. Walpole called her 
a "hyena in petticoats;" and when she combated pet and 
time-honored theories, she was maligned on all hands. She 
wrote against such forces as Dr. Johnson, Dr. Gregory, Rous- 
seau, Dr. Fordyce, and many others who had filled the world 
with literature, forming opinion, and setting woman forth in 
the light of a plaything, a thing to be fondled and admired for 
her beauty and sensitiveness. Dr. Johnson thought even por- 
trait painting too much for the feminine mind ; and that it 
was an immodest calling for her he felt convinced. Literature 
he also considered as undesirable; women were too delicate 
for such things, and had better be making themselves enchant- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 135 

ing with the arts of the toilet. Dr. Johnson was so wise on 
so many points that it is hard to believe that there was any- 
chamber in his intellect so cramped as these sentiments would 
indicate. Dr. Fordyce, the divine, recommended "piety" 
as the most appropriate and proper " fad " for women; a cos- 
metic, as it were ; it filled the face with radiant light and was 
exceedingly becoming. " Never," he says, " does a fine wo- 
man strike more deeply than when composed in pious recol- 
lections. " This is a new use for piety. It surely exercises 
an influence on the soul that " shows serene upon the counte- 
nance," but it seems a little like profanation to accept of the 
blessed benedictions of religion merely as a beautifier. Dr. 
Gregory'- goes to the other extreme and says : 

" Yet ne'er so sure our passions to create, * 

As when she touched the brink of all we hate." 

This is a theory so monstrous that it does not admit of dis- 
cussion. Rousseau argued that woman was put upon earth 
only to amuse man; that she had no right to have brains, and 
that it ill became her to aspire to intellectuality. In support 
of his theory he married a poor girl who was almost an imbecile, 
and could neither read nor write. An intellectual companion 
was not what he wanted. This is what you would expect of 
a man who gave each of his five children to the foundling 
hospital at their birth, saying they were not necessary to 
his happiness. One would not look for exalted opinions of 
womanhood to emanate from such a source; from a fountain 
of such supreme selfishness there could be no flow of pure and 
generous waters. Even the sublime Milton, whose life and 
happiness depended wholly upon the goodness and forbearance 
of his daughters, and their ability to serve him, said women 
were meant only for " softness and grace." In spite of such 
a discouraging trend of thought and influence, Mrs. Wollstone- 
craft was inspired with the idea of elevating and advancing the 
position of her sisters; and her matchless brain began to weave 
for them a fabric which was to exist for all time. 



136 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Thus we see the long road we have had to travel, and the 
prejudices against the intellectual, and I might say physical, 
development of women which were to be combated. 

There is no one forty years of age who does not remember 
the type of girl that prevailed in genteel society when he was 
young. She was Milton's " softness and grace " exemplified; 
the flowing ringlet, the drooping eye, the mouth in smile 
serenely curved, the idle-looking hands, the waspish waist, and 
general " willow- waly " appearance, all sweetness, all good- 
ness, but useless for the practical requirements of life. It was 
en regie in those days to have a cough — the paper-soled shoes 
of that time made that an easy matter. 

Exercise, as we understand it now, was unknown to those 
delicate girls. It was not a la mode to romp and play games in 
the fresh air; it was rude to run, unladylike to whistle, hoy- 
denish to shout, and vulgar even to be humorous. The play- 
ground was meant for boys; girls were expected to be " lady- 
like " at the expense of their health and strength which would 
be needed in the future. 

What a surprise the hothouse plant of that long-ago time 
would experience if she were set down in the staunch, calfskin 
boots of one of the blooming athletic girls of Fifth Avenue to- 
day. Sentiment and fashion have changed. Now a girl who 
enjoys the best advantages can walk, ride a mettlesome horse, 
and is taught scientifically how to manage him ; can row, play 
tennis, swim, shoot, ride a bicycle, fence, turn a handspring, 
vault a bar, and do almost anything that is taught in our gym- 
nasia. All this gives her splendidly developed muscles, a fine 
circulation, a commanding figure and perfect poise. 

It is a blessed time to be born. There never was such care 
given to the young, never so much sense shown in their rear- 
ing. The clothing is sensible; and the health guarded in 
every way. The modern girl in a splendid creature, does not 
faint at snakes and worms, and as a class is giving her brother 
a lively chase for his rights, and even his apparel. It is a 
mercy that health is fashionable ; the race is growing stronger. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 137 

If living were more simple in adult life, there would be a 
hope that the generation born in 1900 would live to see the 
century through. I would not be understood as admiring a 
mannish, ill-bred young woman. There is no amount of good 
which could compensate for a loss of maidenly modesty and 
gentle manners. This is the point to be made: that healthful, 
rugged exercise brings out all that goes to make a finely devel- 
oped woman, and that the mawkish sentimentality which for- 
bids this is hampering, harmful, and calculated to dwarf the 
intellect as well as to shrivel the body. With an improvement 
in physique comes quickening intelligence, ambition to gain 
knowledge, and the desire for full rights in the matter of edu- 
cation. 

This reform in hygiene began in the East among the wealthy 
classes, which were in danger of leaving sickly progeny to in- 
herit and control large properties and estates. These classes 
began to look after their children more carefully, to develop 
them scientifically; and good results soon became manifest. 
The movement grew until it became a " craze " to be well and 
athletic, spreading all over the country. 

In this age everything is advancing and becoming more 
humane and enlightened. The poor and afflicted of the earth 
are living in the sunshine of an improved condition. It is not 
long since the pitiful imbecile and the mild lunatic were caged 
in dark cells and left to moan out their lives alone in blackness. 
Now the helpless and unfortunate are cared for as human 
beings should be; and encouraged and nursed and helped along 
in their plaintive troubles. As civilization ripens and extends 
itself, the aged are not led into the woods to meet death alone, 
in whatever manner the grim presence may come to them. 
As the plane rises into a higher and stronger light, woman 
becomes of more economical importance and her sway reaches 
more and more beyond the sphere of physical influence. Her 
intellect outstrips her person in charm, and she exercises the 
divine right of feeling herself a part of the great system of 
progress, and a factor in the affairs of the world. 



138 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

The time has come when woman may more often be illustri- 
ous in the calcium flash of history for some other reason than 
that she has fomented mischief enough to disrupt an empire, 
was an expert in the handling of poisons, or skilful in brewing 
plots and planning massacres. It is a wonder that the world 
has never until recently awakened to the fact that women were 
sooner or later to occupy their position in the world's affairs, 
and take rank with their brothers in the matters of moment 
and state. The fact that they have always been successful in 
strategy, diplomacy, and cunning should have shown that they 
were full of energy and wit that would some day find an outlet, 
and in a legitimate field contribute most brilliant service. 
Reference is not made here especially to politics, although we 
do not agree with " Medon " who hates " political women," 
and gives as his reason that they are " mischievous;" " run 
mad with politics, they become intriguers and meddlers," and 
thinks women interested in national affairs must needs be cut 
off the same roll of cloth as they who " knit while the heads 
fell." Mrs. Jameson says: " A man's patriotism always has 
a tinge of egotism, while with women it is a sentiment of the 
noblest kind mixed with her best affections." She continues: 
" The time is coming perhaps when the education of women 
will be considered with a view to their future destination as the 
mothers and nurses of legislators and statesmen." She did 
not dare to predict that in her own century, in a land flowing 
with the very milk and honey of civilization and progress, her 
sex would stand side by side with man in his exercise of rights 
given him under the laws of this Republic and its great Con- 
stitution. The astonishing rapidity with which the prayers of 
devoted friends of " equal rights" have been answered, their 
cups filled and running over, would rather amaze this far- 
seeing and " advanced " woman. In fact, the adoption of 
Universal Suffrage in several States has burst upon this people 
of ours with great force, and far from rocking on its base at 
the innovation, the Great Republic welcomes this element, so 
staunch, conscientious, and purifying, into its high councils. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 139 

This result has been attained through the magnanimity of 
man. While the feasibility of the experiment is yet to be 
demonstrated, we feel sure that woman will not abuse the 
power that has been given her, but will use it to the profit of 
all concerned, and prove her appreciation of the responsibili- 
ties of possession. 

With the introduction of liberal and free education for wo- 
men comes the question of how they can be educated. The 
problem of co-education is a vexing one. It is no wonder that 
schools and colleges dodge the issue as long as they are able. 
The advisability of teaching boys and girls in the same class- 
room is not yet thoroughly established. Harvard University 
has solved the question for itself by giving Radcliffe College, 
and her women students, protection and co-advantage, the 
men and women' working together in the same class-room in 
only a few restricted number of cases. Chicago University, 
Stanford University, Ann Arbor, and nearly all the other State 
universities have solved it in another way, by admitting both 
sexes into the same class-room. Many of the smaller colleges, 
and in fact nearly all of the Western schools, have from their 
foundation been co-educational institutions. 

Girls are complex beings, and can plan and carry out more 
distractions at their most innocent and impressionable age 
than a boy can comprehend. In the administration of co- 
educational systems there are many complications constantly 
arising, both in and out of the schoolroom, which call for 
great tact and wisdom on the part of the instructors for their 
proper adjustment. The responsibility of those in charge is 
certainly greater than in an institution where either young 
men or young women alone are pursuing their studies. When 
young men and women have reached the more serious stage of 
higher university or post-graduate study, these objections to a 
purely co-educational system will of course have disappeared 
largely ; here women already have a considerable equality of 
opportunity with men — approaching complete equality, as 
seen in the present situation at Harvard University. 



I40 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

In the case of the country college this question is not so 
serious a matter. In the small communities, where the citi- 
zens protect and guide the young people, take them into their 
homes and supervise their hours of leisure, there is a certain 
degree of guardianship which prevents too much freedom and 
promiscuity. If the students themselves come from carefully 
conducted families, and have been taught that the beauty of 
youth is its purity, the hazard of the undertaking is lessened. 
I do not believe there is one gram or scruple of intentional mis- 
chief or premeditated wrong in the years of college life. It is 
"opportunity" usually "which makes the thief; "and un- 
guarded and thoughtless contact which sows the seeds of 
sorrow. If it is true that women are renowned chiefly for the 
trouble they make, it is equally true that men are aggressors 
and often wanting in conscience. With wise supervision (es- 
pionage generates cunning), there can be no doubt that the 
education of both sexes in the same classes brings very satis- 
factory results. It makes a training-school for the great world 
beyond, and benefits all concerned in many ways. It is more 
beneficial for the young men, I believe, than for the young 
women. Boys, at the time of leaving home, are usually shy 
and bashful and unused to society. The daily association 
with their girl classmates refines their manners and awakens 
their pride. Their chivalry is called out constantly, their 
ideas of feminine genius and ability are extended ; their rugged 
repose is quickened into activity, and they become more care- 
ful in dress and neater in habit. It does not injure men to 
acquire the gentler graces. The strong, loving, tender man 
is the favorite with our sex, in the home and every walk of life. 

There appears to be no appreciable difference in the ability 
of men and women in study. Women have never been behind 
as scholars when given a fair chance. They are quicker and 
more intuitive than their brothers. Possibly they are not 
always so profound, though we are not lacking in examples of 
the depth and strength of the female mind. Carlyle says of 
Mary Somerville, " She possessed the first quality of genius." 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 141 

Justin McCarthy says of the same wonderful woman, " She 
distinctly raised the world's estimate of woman's capacity for 
the severest and loftiest scientific pursuits. She was able to 
pursue her most intricate calculations after she had passed her 
ninetieth year ; and one of her chief regrets in dying was that she 
should not ' live to see the distance of the earth from the sun 
determined by the transit of Venus.' " She was a mathema- 
tician of the first order, a painter and a musician ; interested 
equally in science, literature, and politics, and withal possessed 
of great religious fervor. 

One of the most noted of the writers and students of polit- 
ical economy was Harriet Martineau, a selfish, calculating 
woman, but with a mind as keen as polished steel. She is a 
striking example of the intuitive order of genius, ^he reached 
all of her conclusions by short cuts, and never seemed to have 
to work for her results. Knowledge came to her by magic. 
She was educated liberally, for her time, as all women have 
been, almost without exception, who have lived in the mem- 
ory of the world beyond their own generation. All fine minds 
thirst for improvement, and find it in some channel. 

Lady Jane Grey at seventeen could converse and write in 
eight languages, was a skilled musician, and versed in all of 
the domestic arts. Lucy Apsley Hutchinson's fame as a 
chemist has come down to us through the lights and shadows 
of two hundred and fifty years. Mary Sidney is not less loved 
and admired than her brother Philip, her brother in poesy as 
well. 

Caroline Herschel, with her great brain and scientific trend 
of thought, is hardly less noted than her brother William. 
Their work was so united that they cannot be discussed sep- 
arately. 

Mme. Pape Carpentier, a self-educated woman, was an 
educational reformer as well as a poetess. Margaret Fuller, 
with her graceful gifts and trained mind, will not be forgotten 
while there exist lovers and admirers of literary genius. Liv- 
ing when liberal education was rarely found among women, 



142 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

she was conspicuously erudite and able. Maria Mitchell, our 
glory in the stellar world, was possessed of a most original and 
powerful mind. She received the degree of LL.D. from both 
Dartmouth and Columbia Colleges, and was Professor of 
Astronomy at Vassar College for many years. Historical rec- 
ords teem with names of women who have made their mark in 
this and in preceding centuries ; we are not without abundant 
evidence that their minds will bear training, and that they 
know how to apply their acquirements and to obtain adequate 
results. 

The woman of to-day desires a thorough education, and 
has established her right to it because of her ability to profit 
by its advantages. If we consult the census reports, we will 
see how women stand relatively, as a class, in this country. 
At the last census, of 1890, the proportion of illiteracy among 
the males was 12,4 per cent.; among the females, 14.4 per 
cent. This is the rate for the whole population of the United 
States for males and females (whites) over ten years of age. 
Between the years 1880 and 1890 the rate for females was 
lowered 3,8 percent.; for males, 3.4 per cent. We see that 
we have made a gain of 0.4 per cent, more than the males, and 
that we are only 2 per cent, behind them. The census of 
1900 is likely to show a greater gain. 

The " woman question " has been agitated in the last dec- 
ade more than ever. It has resulted in sending girls to 
school earlier, and giving them the same advantages which 
their brother has heretofore enjoyed alone. The advance in 
the degree of intelligence cannot be shown by census taking, 
which deals only with the primary question, and takes no note 
of the increased attendance in girls' colleges and co-educational 
institutions. In no country have the women so forged ahead, 
in the last twenty years, as in America. They have felt the 
necessity of improvement, have gone to work systematically 
to better their mental condition, and have reached results 
which have always been thought beyond them. Coming up 
through the trades and professions, they have gained a prac- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 143 

tical knowledge of the world, which has always been man's, 
exclusively. Woman is in need of man now as a friend, not as a 
protector. In thousands of homes the women are the wage- 
earners, when, from misfortune, the care has fallen on their 
more slender shoulders. They have risen to the emergency, 
have strengthened themselves physically, and entered the lists 
for fair play, and for the same recognition as is given their 
brother. I would not attempt to discuss the " rights and 
wrongs" of woman; that is not within the purpose of my 
modest work. This is only a chronicle of her uplifting in my 
own time and memory, only a slight and incomplete record of 
the strength she has shown in establishing her right to have 
her mind trained by the same skilled instructors, and her tal- 
ents polished by the same expert methods, as her splendid 
associate, Man. 

In France the women are beginning to think more of the 
development of their intellect, and to long for higher attain- 
ments. The English women are asserting themselves stur- 
dily, and have made an advance that is most creditable to 
them. The " college " boys resent their onslaught on their 
*' holy of holies," and cry, " Get thee to Girton. " 

Max Nordau puts forth the wail that women have " bank- 
rupted gallantry. " He asserts that, by her intellectual com- 
petition, she forfeits her right to his respect, in the sense 
which she has always claimed it. " Woman must choose 
between right and privilege ; she cannot claim both at once. 
Begin to develop your physical strength; you will need it. 
Since man can no longer be your protector, he will be your 
enemy." What a poor opinion to have of on-'s sex ! I do 
not fear that there is the slightest danger that those who have 
always been our natural protectors will turn into an army fun- 
damentally hostile to us, because woman chooses to improve 
her mind and meet men on their own ground, intellectually. 
It is a false warning. I believe firmly, as women show them- 
selves more and more capable, they will rise in the esteem of 
man. It can but excite their admiration to see them acquit- 



144 ^ BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

ting themselves so well in the intellectual and business world. 
It is through the magnanimity of man that women have ad- 
vanced so rapidly, and it will be through his generosity that 
they will find their hopes realized, and their proudest recog- 
nition. 

No woman goes into the work of the great outside world 
from choice. It is much more comfortable to be finely housed 
and cared for in a luxurious way; but when a girl is forced 
into work which must bring her daily bread, she has the right 
to fit herself for something beyond the most menial positions. 
According to the fibre and strength of her brain should she 
prepare herself for the struggle for a livelihood. That man 
first occupied the field does not make her presence there an 
impossibility, and I do not believe she is unwelcome. 

The woman who is well equipped intellectually, and capable 
of supporting herself, does not yield so readily to temptation 
of the baser sort. A love of luxury, or ignorance of the world 
and its wiles, leads many misguided girls into forbidden paths. 
A little more knowledge, a quickening of the moral nature, 
and the danger is lessened. 

In the new adjustment of woman to the business world, it 
would be strange if she made no mistakes; but as long as she 
is womanly and modest, though self-supporting and thoroughly 
educated, she will always have a friend in her compeer and 
fellow-laborer of the opposite sex. Gallantry that cannot en- 
dure competition is not worth the name. 

As the education of woman is becoming more complete and 
liberal, her sphere is widening. Now she is more often heard 
of in the Patent Office, in the realms of science, in the survey- 
or's field, in the higher positions of factories, in the superin- 
tendency of institutions, in the management of hotels and 
counting-rooms, in the pulpit and before the bar. The girl 
of to-day, be she rich or poor, is learning some one thing that 
will stand between her and want, should she be thrown on her 
own resources. In this country, according to the old saying, 
"It is only a generation from shirt-sleeves to shirt-sleeves." 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 145 

Until we have a better hold on our fortunes, and until our 
institutions grow more stable, a trade, profession, or a knowl- 
edge of a useful art or science is a good dependence in time of 
need. In order to meet all the possibilities of adversity, we 
must educate, liberally and well, both our girls and boys, must 
place them on an independent footing in the world. 

It is a proud feeling which comes to one able to cope with 
the questions of maintenance and daily bread ; we have not the 
right to shut out from such a possession either our daughters 
or our sons. 

When the first trust deed to all worldly possessions was 
given to Adam and Eve, there seemed no difference in the 
degree of ownership ; at least none was designated. When 
dominion was given them over the earth and all which existed 
thereon, the inference is that they were equally trustworthy 
and equally responsible. When temptations came they were 
certainly culpable alike in allowing their curiosity to get the 
better of their judgment. Although " knowledge," which we 
are taught to prize so highly, came to us through sin and 
sorrow, we must congratulate ourselves that Y^vo. first saw that 
it was desirable, and risked everything through her ambition 
to possess it. That this took courage there can be little doubt. 
Perhaps " Our Mother" realized how stupid the world would 
be without knowledge and wisdom, and felt that the posses- 
sion of the golden apple which she plucked in the broad sun- 
light of Eden would more than offset a life of ease and para- 
disiacal bliss. History shows that the first woman was alert, 
ambitious, and of an inquiring turn of mind, and had the same 
craving for knowledge which her daughters possess to-day. 

Religion, whatever its type — savage, idolatrous, or civilized 
— has always claimed woman as its most ardent devotee. She 
has been a strong guiding power in many of the religious 
epochs of the world. 

Luther, a good man and righteous, but misguided withal, 
made woman a great deal of trouble, and is responsible for the 
decline of her influence in church matters from his time until 



146 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

the reaction, many years later. He belittled her power, and 
drove her from the prominent place which she had long occu- 
pied in the religious (Protestant) world. Gradually she is 
moving back into her rightful orbit, and obtaining a voice in 
the matters which so well accord with her innate and instinc- 
tively religious nature. Woman draws her deepest and purest 
inspiration from a life of piety, and it would be hard to imag- 
ine a prolonged existence for any religious organization, not 
monastic, without the help and sustaining power of the " sis- 
ters " of the church. 

Man is not inherently pious. From infancy he must be 
dragooned into even the simplest outward religious observance. 
After the first compulsory years in the Sunday-school, whom 
do we find on the Sabbath day filling the classes ? In the 
young people's prayer circles, who are in the majority ? In 
the good old-fashioned class meetings, who are the devoted 
attendants ? Not in any instance the men and boys. We 
could tell who are the most fertile in inventing excuses for 
non-attendance upon divine worship and the appointed services 
on the Lord's day, but it is not well to be too convincing. In 
our limited experience there appear so many " Marys" and 
" Marthas " that the multitude almost excludes from view the 
faithful " Jameses" and " Johns." 

As possessors of thrones and rulers of nations, women shine 
as brilliantly as men. Through the ambition and personal 
sacrifice of a great queen, America was added to the " jewels 
of empire." The governing power in the French home is the 
grandmother. In savage tribes the queen is the oracle, and 
the haughtiest chief submits to her ultimatum. 

Saint Paul, the celibate, was not inspired by the same sweet 
consideration and broad-mindedness which was shown by our 
Lord, when He visited the lovely home in Bethany. When 
making his caustic exhortations to women, he forgot the gen- 
erous lessons which Christ had given him. In mild words our 
Master administered His reproofs and taught His followers. 
In gentle tones He rebuked the serving Martha for spending 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 147 

precious hours among her pots and pans, and encouraged Mary 
to improve all opportunities for gaining wisdom, assuring her 
that the " good part which she had chosen should not be taken 
from her." This blessed sojourn on earth was all too short. 
The disciples seem not to have been sufficiently grounded in 
these benign and gentle teachings, and gradually and surely 
warped back into the ways and customs of the old and nar- 
row life when left to themselves. If Pontius Pilate had lis- 
tened to the pleadings of a woman (his wife) we might have 
had many more evidences of our Lord's tenderness and com- 
passion toward women. Woman in the church, even if she be 
not allowed to " speak her mind " before the brethren, is the 
essence of piety. In the home she is the equal sharer with 
man in its joys and responsibilities; in the educatioi^fil circle, 
is his peer and oftentimes his spur. 

In politics, whatever may be her right, woman is not in her 
natural element. We do not wish to be understood as saying, 
or even suggesting, that she is out of place when interested in 
the affairs which have so long been considered as belonging to 
the realm of man. If it be found that she can better her con- 
dition by adding the duties of politician to those of wife, 
mother, and home-maker, she will fit herself for the work and 
perform every duty well and conscientiously. The problem is 
solving itself; a new type of woman is being evolved. Each 
one must decide this matter for herself. A great force is in 
line striving to obtain for women the right of suffrage. The 
question is agitating the public mind and absorbing the 
thought of the greatest men and women of our time. Its im- 
portance has long since placed it among the great issues of the 
day. The women engaged in the work are, in every way, of 
the highest order, and have gained a respectful hearing by 
their merits. When such an advocate and leader as the beau- 
tiful, gifted, and irresistible Elizabeth Cady Stanton is head 
and front of a cause, there is no gainsaying its standing. 
Purely personal opinion counts for little, when those who are 
competent, through long experience and close study, decide 



148 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

that the woman of the future must stand on the same plane 
with man in the world of politics. Mrs. Stanton called and 
presided over the first Woman's Suffrage Convention in 
the world, in 1848. The saintly Lucretia Mott was her able 
co-worker. (Her life was a psalm, her memory a blessed ser- 
mon.) Mrs. Stanton was greatly influenced in her younger 
days by the great Gerritt Smith, having been deeply interested 
in his radical views on Abolition. In 1840 she attended an 
important anti-slavery convention in England. Delegates 
were sent from France and America. Many women's societies 
sent representatives, but when they arrived they were not 
allowed to take their seats. Mrs. Stanton, in telling me of this, 
said: " The question of their admission was debated all one 
day. There I first met Lucretia Mott. At the close of the 
discussion, I said to her: ' Lucretia, it seems to me, after this 
debate, that we had better hold a convention when we get 
back home and discuss woman's rights; for I think her condi- 
tion is about as degraded as that of the slave on the Southern 
plantation.' " That was the way her work had its inception. 
After her return to America, she at once investigated the 
Married Woman's Property Bill, and found so many wrongs 
contained therein that she appealed to the Legislature to 
right them. When the Woman's Suffrage Convention was 
called, Mrs. Stanton was mother of three sons, and all of the 
women interested were mothers; so that it was not an " old 
maids' " movement, as it has so often been contemptuously 
called. 

The fine array of leaders and speakers of our sex, upon vital 
questions, is a mighty force at work upon the subjects which 
stir the pulse of the people. The brilliant and invincible 
Susan B. Anthony has labored in season and out of season for 
the advancement of womankind. The forceful Judith Ellen 
Foster, an exponent of everything which is good and helpful, 
is a brilliant example of a liberally educated woman who gives all 
her time to public work, and claims the admiration and respect 
of both men and women. The earnest women workers in the 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 149 

"suffrage" cause are numbered by hundreds and thousands. 
In the face of labor so sincere as we know theirs to be, it is 
puerile and impertinent to speak slightingly of the " rank and 
file " who are devoting their lives to the one object of obtain- 
ing for women their full rights and privileges. Certain it is 
that the progressive women of to-day are fitting themselves 
for every station in life. Those who are now filling important 
niches are finely educated, and a large per cent, of the number 
are college graduates. Education will fit them for any sphere 
in life, and all of its duties. 

That the coming generations may possess stronger intellect- 
ual powers, greater brain force, and more commendable charac- 
teristics, let us see that the girls of to-day are given the most 
generous opportunities. The matrice is the mould which marks 
with deepest imprint character and type of mind; nourishing 
with the instinct of intelligence the faint germs of greatness 
and nobility. Base metals are shaped in coarse-grained sands. 
The purest wax is run in moulds of finest steel. 

We would not usurp even the smallest privilege of our 
splendid men and boys. We want only to be worthy of their 
love and respect. To be able to appreciate them we must sup 
the philter which gives life to their ambitions, must under- 
stand the code upon which their honor rests, and enjoy to the 
fullest the advantages which come from a close affiliation with 
the spirits which people the world of wisdom and greatness. 



ISO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 



CHAPTER XV 

LETTERS FROM OLD STUDENTS 
" Many sons and daug-hters shall arise and call her blessed." 

Newton, Iowa, 

Memory now places Mrs. Stoddard in the classroom, the picture as 
vivid as though it were yesterday. A woman approaching forty, rather 
stout in figure, brown hair combed smooth, a round, genial, pleasant face, 
pleasing manner, that somehow seemed to establish pleasant relations with 
and attract such uncouth boys as many of us were in those pioneer times. 
She had a Icindly word for every one ; I never knew her to speali unkindly, 
or to do anything, either in class or out, that would mar my memories of 
her as a truly refined and noble woman. As a disciplinarian she excelled. 
How it was I do not yet understand. I have seen little sail-boats gliding 
up and down, dodging in and out, here and there, apparently going as 
they pleased, but no more certainly guided by the hand at the helm than 
we by her were held in our proper course. 

The students in all departments and in all conditions, of both sexes, 
had a profound respect for Mrs. Stoddard. Among the young ladies she 
was an oracle. Later, my wife and three sisters, and two other brothers 
besides Bob, making, as you see, eight in all, attended the University at 
various times, and I think they would all say as much as I have said of 
her ; and the other girls of the institution would bear testimony to the 
same effect. 

I have heard so often and so much, and always in the same strain, 
from these sources, that I do not hesitate to say that the young ladies 
regarded her as perfection. 

Since then " I hae been monny a gate, and monny a house." Occasion- 
ally I have met Mrs. Stoddard, and so kept fresh such comparisons as I 
might institute, from time to time, between her and such other people as I 
have met ; and still she holds that place in memory accorded when a boy, 
now ratified by the mature judgment of years. 

I was assigned to Mrs. Stoddard's class in grammar ; I had studied 
various authors. Frankness compels me to confess that I had not compre- 
hended one of them. The most confused and senseless jargon I ever tried 








^~'-^^s 







GROUP TWELVE. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 151 

to comprehend, save alone and except the Westminster Catechism, was 
the English grammar. Parrot-lilce, I could repeat the authors I had stud- 
ied, and so I was thought sufficiently advanced in this study to be assigned 
to the class in Green's Analysis. It affords me pleasure to recall and to 
tell you that, like a revelation, the mysteries of that study unfolded them- 
selves to my confused, tired, and discouraged understanding. All that I 
had before learned that was meaningless was at once made plain. To 
my surprise, I found that all those dry books were treating of the plan 
upon which the only language I knew anything about was constructed. 
I mention this not so much to prove to you how smart I was, or more 
properly speaking, how dull I was, but to bring out the thought that she 
was a good instructress. I know it is unkind to lay all the fault at the 
door of my former teachers, but it now seems to me that any teacher, com- 
petent to instruct, ought to have removed, in the course of three or four 
years, the obstacles that Mrs. Stoddard removed almost instantly. 

In language, I must have exhausted myself on English. I confess this 
to you, because I know, if you recollect anything of me in mjfc Latin and 
Greek recitations, you would realize that I was withholding a part of the 
truth if I did not "own up." In these, I recited to Professor Currier. I 
tried hard to master the lessons ; I would rather fail in any other class than 
his. He never uttered a word of reproach, but somehow his look seemed 
to say that my failure hurt him, and that he pitied me. As an instructor, 
he was without a superior. This fact I can establish by witnesses num- 
bering in the thousands, scattered over this and other States ; young men 
and women who speak from an experience in both the Central University 
of Iowa and in the Iowa State University. It must afford him, as well as 
Mrs. Stoddard, supreme pleasure, if they realize the great good they have 
done. 

Under such tutelage pass the hours, none more pleasant in my experi- 
ence, for nearly, or quite, two years. 

This brought us to that year of 1861, memorable everywhere in this 
land. The war clouds which had been gathering, had burst, and need I 
recount to you the incidents of that hour ? Your own home gave up your 
brother. The College halls were deserted ; students and professors alike, 
to a man, every one that was able to bear arms, enlisted under our flag. 
If I were to speak, once more, in detail of the events whose memory crowds 
upon my recollection, this letter would be drawn out to an undue length ; 
but I know you will pardon me if I speak of one of my special friends, Joe 
Ruckman. Occasionally I have gone with him to his home. The Ruck- 
man family consisted of the father, mother, and three sons — of whom Joe 
was the youngest — all of them noble boys. The father was a tall, athletic, 
rosy-cheeked man. The mother was a short, sprightly, and active woman. 



152 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

with exceeding-ly bright eyes ; an encyclopedia on history, and thoroughly 
versed in politics, not only of the State, but of the country. Her conversa- 
tion was, to me, most delightful. She prepared the meals at an open fire, 
and the baking was done in the " Dutch bake oven," made hot by stand- 
ing it in front of the fire and placing coals on the lid. As she busied her- 
self about the household duties, occasionally passing and repassing Joe, 
she would stroke his head or pat his cheek gently, and it seemed each time 
she did anything of this sort, Joe would look at me shyly and inquir- 
ingly. 

In 1863, when my command was on its way to participate in the siege 
of Vicksburg, we passed the city of Memphis, where Joe and his command 
were stationed, and we were fortunate enough to see him there as we 
passed. At our parting then, with a tear in his eye, he expressed the hope 
that we (Bob and I) might pass safely through the dangers before us. 
Visions of Shiloh and rebel prisons rose up before us. And so we parted. 
A few days later the fortunes of war brought to the front Joe and his com- 
mand. A little later we were in the same line of battle, though a little 
removed from each other, in front of Jackson, Mississippi. Lawler's Bri- 
gade (in which Joe was), by some error, was ordered to charge the ene- 
my's works. It was gallantly done, and both Joe and his brother John 
were upon the enemy's ramparts, when Joe fell, inside the works, mortally 
wounded. John lived only long enough to be taken from the field. 
Shortly afterwards, how I can scarcely tell, the news came to us, along the 
line, that both the Ruckman boys had been killed. When the sad news 
reached their mother, it dethroned her reason. I have since been in that 
home. To me it speaks of war's desolation as no other fact, or incident, 
or picture, that I can recall. 

My dear classmate, I dare not trust myself to speak in detail of the 
things which come to my mind that belong to the days of which I write, so 
let us pass entirely that period, to that most delightful moment when war 
had smoothed her "wrinkled front," and we had again, some of us, re- 
turned to the walls of the University. 

Dr. Gunn was succeeded by Professor Scarff, a most delightful and 
capable man. You had been in college during a part of our absence, and 
were so far advanced that we became classmates. If you remember, I 
served as a member of the Lower House of the Eleventh General Assembly, 
much against my inclination, for it carved out another slice of time that 
to me was then most precious. From 1859 ^^ ^^^^^ was a long time to be 
in and out of college, the course torn to pieces, and aspirations correspond- 
ingly rent. 

Not long since I spent a few delightful hours with Dr. Amos N. Cur- 
rier, who is still at the State University, and we talked of the students of 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 153 

our day ; it is exceedingly gratifying to Icnow that so many have obtained 
distinction in various noble vocations. . . . 

Your friend and schoolmate, 

David Ryan. 

Orange City, Iowa, 

October 8th. 

I am most happy to express my appreciation of the work and worth of 
Mrs. Stoddard. I can do it in no better way than by quoting Luke iv. 8, 
as applicable to her. " The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he 
hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ; he hath sent me to 
heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recover- 
ing of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are buried, to preach 
the acceptable year of the Lord." 

As far as it lies in the power of sinful man to imitate the Divine Master 
in these things, it has, for many long years, been done by Mr^ Stoddard. 
Being a woman of rare culture, she is able to shine in the highest social 
circles, but she chooses, rather, to be the friend of the poor, the ignorant, 
and the distressed, and to lend a helping hand, to lift all with whom she 
comes in contact to a higher plane of life. She has done more to inspire 
the young people with a desire for higher education than any other woman 
in Pella. 

She believes firmly in the country college. It offers advantages which 
no other institution of learning can offer. Young people of wealth may 
go to large colleges in large cities, and receive great benefit from visiting 
the choicest places of entertainment and from hearing and seeing the great- 
est men of our nation ; but students of limited means and doubtful home- 
training will be tempted to visit the lower places of amusement because 
they are within their means, and thus be led astray. In country towns 
temptations are fewer, the better class of people will receive the students 
into their society, and they will learn as much through their friendly asso- 
ciations as they will at school. 

Always sincerely, 

Cornelia Vander Linden. 

Des Moines, Iowa. 
It was with great gladness I heard of your intended tribute to Mrs. 
Stoddard. To honor the name, and to extend both in time and space the 
influence of such a good woman, is a noble undertaking. Too often we 
forget those who helped to shape our lives when they needed shaping, and 
to sweeten them when they needed sweetening. All communities have 



154 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

their holy lives. Mrs. Stoddard is preeminently the " Holy Life " of the 
community which has Central University, your Alma Mater and mine, as 
its centre. 

I love to think such influences are never lost and that they never die. 
The little goodness or sweetness or love or joy we bring into the world 
with us goes on living and multiplying and blessing forever. It cannot 
die. It is in the world, somewhere, all the time. Even matter is immor- 
tal. The paper on which I write, a hundred years from now, may be the 
white brow of a mother to be kissed, or the warm lips of a beautiful girl ; 
or it may bloom as a lily or a rose ; or it may be put to uglier uses, not to 
be despised either. Of one thing I am certain, the matter of it can never 
be destroyed. And why not these better things of the world — in which 
Mrs. Stoddard was so rich — why are they not immortal ? Matter changes 
its form and influences become separated from the names of those who 
originated them, but they are both immortal. 

Mrs. Stoddard was loved in Central University before I was born. 
She is still living, but she became a saint there more than a quarter of a 
century ago. Her daughter. Bertha, who was good and zealous like her 
mother, was my teacher, and bore patiently with me when I was struggling 
with my first lessons. I remember that Mrs. Stoddard came now and 
then and talked to us in her earnest and inspiring way. I can still see her 
face as it looked then. I can see her gestures and I can hear her voice. 
Strange how we carry such things in our minds and hearts ! I do not 
recall any of the things she said, but I know they are parts of me, mentally 
and morally. They are like the sunshine and the rain which fell on the 
orchard last spring and are now parts of the fruit that hangs, red-cheeked, 
on the trees. Everything she said and did then made toward goodness, 
which is the essence of manhood as well as womanhood, although it is 
sometimes despised by men. 

When I entered the College, after she had disappeared from its halls, 
the fragrance of her life and character still lingered there and blessed 
many of us. It will always linger there. Her life is part of the atmos- 
phere, and the College atmosphere is the College, as the sunshine is the 
daylight. I am sure your little book will help to make this atmosphere 
permanent. It will also glorify Central University, as we knew it and as 
we still love it. I think the great universities have been overestimated. I 
doubt whether their influence is as great or permanent, on the individual 
man or woman, as the influence of the smaller colleges. Central Univer- 
sity, like scores of other similar institutions, was born of the needs and 
aspirations of the people. Greek and Latin and the higher mathematics 
and the sciences have been taught there as thoroughly and as conscien- 
tiously as anywhere in the world, and the contact between aspiring students 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 155 

and noble, self-sacrificing teachers has been a direct and a living contact. 
At the present time, it seems to me, we have taken learning away from the 
people and massed it in great educational syndicates, which, like other 
corporations, are soulless. The money demon has invaded education as 
it has everything else. May your book do something toward restoring the 
small college to its proper estate and to its proper place in the affections of 
the people. 

And Mrs. Stoddard, as I see her now : her place was that of a sort of 
extra mother in our college world, a mother superior, spiritually and tem- 
porally. She was a consoler there and a comforter, a guide and one who 
encouraged. She commanded, but she also loved. She was sometimes 
eccentric and often imperious, but what she made a duty became a pleas- 
ure. She walked by faith, where thoughtless young men and women 
walked by sight. 

It is only now, after her work is done and her life is drawing toward 
its close, that we can see its goodness, which was duty ; its beauty, which 
was laith ; and its sweetness, which was love, in their right relations. 

Sincerely yours, 

Cyrenus Cole. 

Des Moines, Iowa. 

October 4th. 

. . . . I gladly add a word in honor of dear Mrs. Stoddard. 

I entered Old Central in 1857 and remained until 1861 ; now as I look 
back over these years, I realize that Mrs. Stoddard, in her capacity as 
teacher, did much toward moulding my character and influencing my later 
life. She was one of the most efficient teachers I ever knew, and could get 
the best results from her students. 

She was preeminently practical in all things. She was the soul of 
honor and an earnest Christian woman. She inculcated into her pupils 
principles of uprightness and honor. She taught us never to shirk a duty, 
to be manly in all of our acts, and often told us to remember, throughout 
life, that any dishonorable action of ours would reflect upon her, and 
that it would cause her sorrow to hear at any time that we had done 
anything wrong. 

Thus her influence for good has been with each of us through all these 
years and will be as long as life remains. We learned to love her, and 
often affectionately called her " Mother Stoddard." She was one to whom 
we could go for sympathy and advice. No one ever applied to that over- 
flowing fountain of her heart and went away empty-handed. She loved us 
all. Kind, gentle, and loving, but not too lenient, while sympathizing with 
us over our hard tasks, she yet commanded that they be mastered. 



156 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

We would sit up all night, hard at work on our lessons, rather than see 
that look of pain cross her face on account of a failure in recitation. 

She was of incalculable benefit to the University, and there is no doubt 
that she has made the sons and daughters of Old Central better and 
nobler men and women for their having known her and been under her 
influence. 

Yours truly, 

George Anson Jewett. 



Pella, Iowa. 

My days at Central University are of a later date than those in which 
Mrs. Stoddard led her boys and girls along the flowery paths of learning, 
and by her own enthusiasm enkindled a zeal within their hearts which 
aroused every faculty of their minds and created newer and nobler 
impulses. 

But, while I am not one of her students, may I not, as an alumna, speak 
of her worth to the institution which we love so well ? During the years 
which have passed since her connection with the college as teacher has 
been severed, she has remained faithful to its best interests. Her heart is 
ever open to its students, the old and the new ; many are those who, 
homesick and discouraged, either because of ill-health or of lack of 
means, have been cheered by her visits, and by her words of comfort and 
by help in a more substantial form have been encouraged to renewed 
efforts. 

During this interchange of visits with the students, she ascertained how 
they spent their leisure hours, what books they read, how they read them, 
and whether they were careful of their health. By her manifest interest in 
their welfare, she won their confidence and life-long friendship. Who 
shall say that such friendships cease with time ? 

A woman of keen perceptive faculties, of a remarkably retentive mem- 
ory, possessing a mind enriched with stores of knowledge acquired by 
careful reading and by observation, ever ready to converse with friends, 
she is much averse to speaking in public. 

Mrs. Stoddard is one of those young old women about whom there 
lingers a sort of perennial freshness. She is, in many respects, a model 
woman. Her virtues are not pursued to the border of fanaticism, but are 
characterized by good, common sense, which commends them to the 
thoughtful mind. Cheerful, full of faith and good deeds, she still lives at 
her old home, in sight of the college whose interests have ever been her 
interests. 

May the knowledge that she is loved by many and respected by all 








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GROUP THIRTEEN. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 157 

increase her happiness here, and may she yet enjoy many years of useful- 
ness before being called into the larger life beyond ! 

Yours most sincerely, 

Lois Martin. 



Oakland, Cal. 

For two years Mrs. Stoddard's pupil, for several months one of her 
home circle, her influence upon my life was a lasting one. 

Intellectual, sincere, faithful, she made an impression on the College 
which lifted far above the commonplace. 

Her pupils left her with new respect for woman's intellectual powers 
and a deeper desire to " see things as they are." All shame shrivelled in 
her presence. The years have separated us, but to her I owe much of 
whatever I have accomplished in the world. She gave me an impulse 
toward the intellectual life. 

The memory of her faithfulness and uncomplaining cheerfulness in all 
the privations of those early college days, has been an inspiration in many 
of the hard places in my life. One picture lives in my memory : the even- 
ing lamp is lighted ; I sit with her children around the table preparing 
lessons. Mrs. Stoddard has taught several hours of the day, and with her 
own hands prepared the meals for a family of seven. She is now sitting 
with her knitting, with an English review before her, her beautiful eyes 
shining with delight over some interesting article. Plain living and high 
thinking never had a more noble exponent. 

God bless her declining years ! 

Eliza Tupper Wilkes. 

Chicago, III. 
Of all the persons you mention in connection with the College work, I 
have nothing but the most kindly memories and could speak only words 
of praise. Of Mrs. Stoddard herself, I can say she was a mother to me, 
and I greatly appreciate, to this day, her words of counsel and direction 
when a student and her respect and regard since, even to the present time. 
Of Dr. Stoddard, though never under his care or instruction as a student, 
he was always a warm friend, and his friendship is still greatly appreciated. 
Of Professor Currier the highest words of praise are due. As I think of 
him now the point that comes mosf prominently to my mind is that as a 
teacher he had but few equals, and he certainly could unravel the knotty 
questions in Latin and Greek in such a marvellous manner that the aver- 
age student must have understood it whether he cared to or not. As to 
Dr. Scarff, he needs no words of praise from any one's tongue or pen. 



158 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

They are not to be spoken, but kept sacred in the memory of every student 
who ever came under his care ; his memory will long outlive his mortal 
existence. 

Sincerely yours, 

W. H. H. Barker. 

Iowa State Normal School, 

Cedar Falls, Iowa. 
I am glad you are going to publish Mrs. Stoddard's biography. She is 
one of the truest women and best friends, one who loves God and His ser- 
vice with all her heart. Many years ago, when times were discouraging 
for the College, a report of the committee that had been appointed to find 
some way out of the difficulty did not give the information desired nor 
present much comfort. In conversation with Mrs. Stoddard over the 
matter I said : " If these friends are not to be relied upon, in whom can 
we trust ? " She leaned over toward me and said : " Brother Loughridge, 
we can always trust the Lord." This seems to me the keynote of all her 
life and work : a faith in God that never falters. 

Yours sincerely, 

Albert Loughridge. 

Monroe, Iowa. 
. . , . I am glad that you are engaged in the splendid work of 
honoring one so worthy of honor as Mrs. Stoddard, and hope you may suc- 
ceed grandly in perpetuating the memory of her heroic, self-sacrificing 
life. I cannot say too much as to her worth as a friend and instructor. 
All the girls who were privileged to be under her care while at school can 
testify to her never-failing interest in all that pertained to their welfare, and 
we owe her a debt of gratitude that can only be paid by being the sturdy 
Christian women she so much desired we should be. Old Central has 
many advantages she did not have in those war times, but she has never 
had but one Mrs. Stoddard. Aside from my own parents, I think no one 
ever took more interest in my welfare or gave me better advice than she, 
and I still esteem it a great privilege to meet her and listen to her words 
of wisdom and rich experience. May she long be spared to bless all who 
are so fortunate as to come under her influence ! 

Ever your friend, 

Sarah Livingstone Hill. 

Oakland, Cal. 
I gladly add anything I may to your little volume. The old students 
will be very grateful, I know, for what you are doing. I was not, at any 



AND ITS ASSOCIATION'S 159 

time, a member ot Mrs. Stoddard's classes, so I cannot speak of her in the 
classroom, but of her prevailing influence throughout the College. I knew 
her only a year and a half in school, but that was long enough to be so 
profoundly impressed by her that she seems to have been dominant through- 
out my whole life. 

To-day I measure every woman engaged in educational work with 
girls by her as a standard. She had so much inherent dignity of man- 
ner and grandeur of appearance, that, combined with her kindly personal 
interest in each one of us, made us love and admire her to veneration. 

How graciously she welcomed us each morning as we gathered in her 
room, how eagerly we heard her talks to girls, and how proud and worship- 
ful we were of her on public occasions ! It is a sweet memory to me, and 
so profound that it is as distinct as if it were yesterday. 

Wishing you great success in your work, 

Affectionately, 

Mary Craven Olney. 
» 

Pella, Iowa. 

My Dear Mrs. Clarkson : I was not in school during Mrs. Stoddard's 
time, and I have often felt I was born too late. 

My peculiar genius is decidedly out of place amid the hurry and worry 
and concentration, mental and physical, of the end of the century. As I 
am not wanting in filial affection, I naturally have decided views regard- 
ing the " Country College." 

While much may be said in favor of rural, as against urban, surround- 
ings for the youth of the land, to my mind, the strongest tribute to the 
worth of the country college is to be found in the fact that a large per- 
centage of the students enrolled there are financially unable to attend the 
more expensive institutions. 

Universal education alone insures the perpetuity of our government, 
and whatever adds to the grand total of human knowledge is certainly 
worthy of all commendation. 

My acquaintance with Mrs. Stoddard is not intimate ; I only know her 

as a talented, lovable, unselfish, Christian woman, who holds a large place 

in the hearts of those around her. 

Sincerely yours. 

Will L. Allen. 

Pella, Iowa. 

My Dear Mrs. Clarkson: I am .sorry to say that when I entered Cen- 
tral Mrs. Stoddard had severed her connection with the school as prin- 



i6o A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

cipal, but she continued to show her unbounded zeal for the institution and 
the students by often mingling with them and delivering interesting and 
instructive lectures before them when opportunity presented itself. As to 
the influence of the College upon the community and upon the boyhood 
and girlhood in the State, to form a definite estimate would be a herculean 
task. 

I can say, however, that the vast majority of the alumni would never 
have reached the positions they occupy, in many instances, in social and 
political life, had it not been for the excellent opportunities so liberally 
presented by our "Country College," situated, as it is, in an atmosphere so 
moral and serene. 

I remain most truly, 

T. Veenschoten. 

San Bernardino, Cal. 

My Dear Mrs. Clarkson .•....! knew Mrs. Stoddard well 
during all the time she was in Pella up to the month of May, 1864, when I 
left for California. 

During most of the time I was a student in Old Central Mrs. Stoddard 
was one of my teachers — and a royal teacher she was. 

I can see her now, as she sat before the class, more than thirty years 
ago. Calm and dignified, she listened to our recitations, and I can almost 
hear her words explanatory of the more difficult parts of our lessons. 

She loved her work, was always thoroughly prepared, and "apt to 
teach." Her manners and words were such as to command the confidence 
and engage the attention of her pupils, and in her presence the rudest boy 
became a gentleman. 

And then I remember how interested a listener she always was on 
" Friday afternoons," when we all met in the old College chapel to read 
our essays and "speak our pieces." How her face would light up with 
pleasure when some one displayed some genius or talent, or showed that 
the subject had been thoroughly mastered ! I am greatly pleased to know 
that a record of her useful life is to be prepared. 

Your sincere friend, 

Jesse Curtis. 

Montezuma, Iowa. 

When I entered the "Central University" of Iowa, in 1872, I also 
entered into my first experience away from home. 

If there is ever a time when a raw youth needs kindly advice it is at 
this juncture of his career. There is something in our natures that 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS i6i 

prompts a desire for motherly kindness when thrust among strangers for 
the first time. Mrs. Stoddard was a mother for the new students who 
entered the College. She took special pains to look after their interests 
and in a kind manner to inquire after their welfare. In this way she 
gained the confidence of the young people at once, and she always held it. 
This gave her great power over the students, and she used it wisely. 

In her quiet, unassuming way she " builded monuments for eternity." 
Since first we knew her, business cares and the perplexities that come to 
us all alike have verified the lessons imparted by her, and those who came 
in contact with that quiet yet forceful life were the better prepared to 
fight life's battles. 

The bashful boys and girls who entered school when her powers were 
greatest are now the middle-aged. They are in the midst of business 
activities and the home cares, but they look back to the old College with 
interest, and still retain an abiding faith in those words of wisdom which, 
imparted to youth, became in after years an inspiration. 

J. W. Jar»agan. 

Pella, Iowa. 

My Dear Mrs. Clarkson : Mrs. Stoddard richly deserves the notice she 
will receive in your book. There certainly never was a better, truer, no- 
bler Christian woman on earth than our own dear Mrs. Stoddard. Her 
heart is like a " harp with a thousand strings." The beauty of this harp 
is that it does not require a skilled musician to bring out its music. 

Does one come to her full of life, hope, joy, responsive music, rich, full, 
harmonious echoes, come back from that loving heart. Does another, dis- 
couraged, " blue as indigo," seek her presence, he is not permitted to 
leave " till beautiful songs with words " have cheered his inmost being. 
Should one come in sore distress, with heart bowed down with grief too 
heavy for mortal to bear alone, Mrs. Stoddard comforts as only a true 
Christian woman, divinely assisted, can comfort. May she be spared 
many, many years ! 

Yours sincerely and always, 

LiLLIE ViERSON. 

INDIANOLA, Iowa. 
Mrs. Stoddard's deep interest, personal and individual, in her pupils, 
is, I believe, the strongest impression which remains with me of her work 
in the College, after all these long years. She was a tender and a helpful 
friend as well as a teacher. 

Augusta S. Hampson (Sallie Spray). 



i62 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Davenport, Iowa. 

My Dear Friend: I am more than glad to give my testimony of Mrs. 
Stoddard's worth as a teacher and friend. If I could command the strong- 
est, the most beautiful, the truest words of any language, to express my 
esteem for her and my belief in the excellence and permanent character of 
her work, there would still be in my heart, unexpressed, inexpressible, the 
dearest friendship, the truest love for her, and the sweetest memories of 
those days — days when a smile from Mrs. Stoddard would brighten our 
lives and a word of approval would lighten our burdens for a whole week. 
How sweet those memories are! 

Bless you and all the dear ones, whose memories throng upon me at 
this moment, is the prayer of your friend and schoolmate, 

Lydia Davenport Welch. 

West Chester, Iowa. 
I have always regarded Mrs. Stoddard as a good instructor and a 
woman of great integrity and sterling worth. When she and her husband 
first came to Pella, they stayed for a time in our home. My father was 
one of the trustees of the College, and I think it can truly be said he was 
one of the founders of the institution, and was always a devoted and firm 
friend of the school. Very sincerely yours, 

Susan Ritner Craven. 

Des Moines, Iowa. 

I was in school as late as 1862. I was not with Mrs. Stoddard as much 
as many of the other girls, my home life being such a busy one; I missed 
most of the social times enjoyed by the students very often at her house. 
I remember Mrs. Stoddard as a thorough, impartial teacher, ever freely 
giving us any assistance needed. If in trouble, we were sure of her womanly 
sympathy, and we did not hesitate to go to her for advice, as to a mother. 

The instructions imparted did not end with our text-books. She im- 
pressed many lessons upon our minds which proved useful after school 
days had ended. 

She is one of God's pure, noble women. I shall ever hold her in grate- 
ful remembrance for many kindnesses. 

Affectionately, 

TiLLIE TOWNE ShULL. 

Pella, Iowa. 
Mrs. Anna H. Clarkson. 

My Dear Madam: As one of Mrs. Stoddard's former pupils, it is indeed 
a rare privilege to be permitted to say anything commemorative of her 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 163 

splendid work. Away back in the fall of 1857, when she had just returned 
from her first missionary work in Assam, she was engaged in teaching in 
the Central University, of Pella. It was at that time that we received 
those impressions of her as a perfect type of womanly excellence and 
grace; impressions which the lapse of years has tended to intensify rather 
than diminish. She was much more than a " teacher." Her former 
pupils have, no doubt, largely forgotten the contents of the text-books, but 
they never will forget those charming and encouraging lectures she would 
give us regarding life, manners, and morals, which many of us doubtless 
sorely needed. 

Her life was noble, in that it was largely spent for the good of others, 
and whether in the missionary field, the school-room, or attending to the 
nurture and admonition of her children, and children's children, it is but 
stating the simple truth to say that, like her Master, Jesus Christ, she 
" went about doing good." 

When to these spiritual graces are added a strong intellectuality, a keen 
discernment, and discriminating judgment, a wonderful amount of shrewd 
common sense, and a generous, catholic spirit that failed not to appreciate 
whatever of good may have been in sect or faction, we cannot but come 
to the conclusion that our former teacher belongs to that rare class of 
mortals who leave their impress, for lasting good, on the lives of others, 
long after they themselves have passed away. 

Always your friend, 

Herman F. Bousquet. 

Washington, D. C. 

I am heartily glad that you have assigned to yourself the pleasant and 
filial task of writing a little biography of Mrs. Stoddard. 

The lives and deeds of such as she, well reported, are among the rich- 
est legacies one generation can leave the next. Your purpose is worthy 
of fullest commendation. 

My acquaintance with Mrs. Stoddard was slight. I was in none of her 
classes, and was only an occasional visitor at her house. Yet I can 
testify that her coming to the institution, the Pella College, was an event 
of the highest good fortune to the youth within its walls and to the 
community; that her influence was a constant inspiration to higher think- 
ing and living, and her work a constant benefaction. 

In her noble presence, triviality and immorality stood rebuked; earnest- 
ness and purity stood reverent. 

You ask my opinion of the " Country College," its right to live, its 
power for good. Surely Pella College needs no other eulogy than that 
which the really worthy, and, in many cases, noble deeds of its sons and 
daughters confer upon it. It has a " right to live **— it has a wo'rk to do. 



i64 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Without undertaking to declare what place it should assume to fill, as 
between the State Educational System, on the one hand, and the " Great 
Chicago University," on the other, I do declare that it may continue to be 
a " power for good," a centre of educational and religious influence, ex- 
tending and widening as the years roll by. 

Very sincerely, 

Andrew F. Craven. 

Knoxville, Iowa. 
Mrs. Stoddard was an excellent guide and counsellor to the girls under 
her care, and always took us aside to give us advice. Her noble and 
dignified bearing was a daily example to us, and it was her heart's desire 
that we should become honorable and lovely Christian men and women. 
May she long live to bless us with her influence! 

Anna Eldridge Sperry. 



Des Moines, Iowa. 

Mrs. Stoddard was a wonderful teacher; her instructions were given in 
such a plain, quiet manner, that we never failed to understand, and could 
not forget them. Especially do I remember her " Friday afternoon " 
talks to the girls; they were such pleasant interviews, with advice on all 
subjects. 

I hope she feels as well repaid for her labors as do we who are to-day 
receiving the benefits from them. Many wishes for a long and happy life 
for her. Always, 

Sallie DeCou Kelsey. 

Kalamazoo, Michigan. 
Looking down through the vista of thirty years, I seem to see a face 
illumined with kindness; a form, in its every movement, gentleness; a 
teacher touched with tenderness; in brief, a woman all womanliness. 

I seem to still hear her motherly " now Sammie," now in reproach, 
now in encouragement: and my heart, amid the many pleasant recol- 
lections of the Central University of Iowa, recognizes only her, as the 
embodiment of motherliness — as my true Alma Mater. 

Your friend, 

Samuel Streng. 

Terre Haute, Indiana. 
I loved and revered Mrs. Stoddard almost to adoration. To this day 
she is my ideal teacher. I have always felt that her individuality left its 
imprint on her pupils. 





I" 






I 



t 









f 



^ 



GROUP FOURTEEN. 




AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 165 

After the lapse of thirty years, 'tis a pleasure to think of Mrs. Stoddard 
as she came into the school-room, the very picture of health — a healthy 
mind in a healthy body. I am glad that you have charged yourself with 
the writing of her biography. With love. 

Belle Baker Platt. 

Pella, Iowa. 

Dear Friend: I am so glad that some one who has the time and 
ability, as well as the inclination, has taken it upon herself to write a bio- 
graphical sketch of the life of our dear friend and teacher, Mrs. Stoddard, 
and in this beautiful way keep green her memory. I fear that I cannot 
say much that has not already been written, but will most gladly endorse 
all the good things said of her. I often recall, with pleasure, those 
" Friday afternoons," when she lectured to the girls, when she so lovingly, 
yet so firmly, marked the course of conduct she expected us to pursue; 
and that student was very refractory indeed who could turn^a deaf ear 
to her admonitions and disappoint her expectations. I have been much 
in Mrs. Stoddard's society since we left the College halls, over twenty 
years ago, and our interviews have always been profitable to me, for she 
never failed to leave with me some food for afterthought, and always 
seemed as solicitous about my physical, mental, and spiritual well-being 
as when I was a girl. I am so thankful we still have her with us, though 
a short time ago she was very near the end. One evening, just as the 
sun was setting, word came to me that " Mrs. Stoddard was dying." I 
hastened to her bedside, and as I entered the room, she opened her eyes 
and took me by the hand, with her usual calm manner, and without a 
tremor in her voice, said: " My battles are all fought." She was perfectly 
resigned to the Lord's will. If her work was finished, she was glad to 
rest; if there was more to do, she was ready and willing to bide her time. 
I trust many years will be hers to enjoy, and ours to profit by her presence. 

Wishing you " God speed " with your dear little book, which I know 
will be a treasure in itself, I am, 

Affectionately yours, 

Luella Keables Cox. 

Des Moines, Iowa: 
My Dear Friend: I must add my congratulations to the many you will 
receive from the friends of " Iowa Central," and wish for you the success 
in your undertaking you so well deserve. The idea must have been an 
inspiration; and then, what a glorious subject you have! 

It is now just thirty-one years since I attended the Iowa Central 
University, but it was my good fortune, while there, to be a member of 



i66 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

the Stoddard household. I was then a very young girl, but some impres- 
sions received while under the direct personal influence of Mrs. Stoddard 
will remain with me always, to my everlasting benefit I trust. Her un- 
varying patience, her gentle firmness, her self-denial, unlimited charity, 
and her active and all-embracing love for humanity, were object-lessons 
to my youthful mind, which the passage of nearly three decades has neither 
effaced nor dimmed. At that time she and her noble husband had but 
just returned from India, where prolonged ill health had compelled them 
to lay down their chosen work; but their hearts were so full of desire for 
the uplifting of the whole human race that, notwithstanding their former 
sufferings., privations, and separations from children and friends, after a 
few years they again responded to the call from across the sea, " Come 
over and help us." Surely the world is better for their having lived. 

Mrs. Stoddard was a born instructor, with an inexhaustible fund of 
information from which to draw. It was always a marvel to me how she 
found time to acquire so much knowledge. She was, however, a devourer 
of books. And this reminds me that a short time ago, at a reunion of 
Marion County people, a friend was telling me of a recent interview she 
had with the dear woman. Mrs. Stoddard had completed the Chautauqua 
course, and had followed it with a course of reading which included some 
thirty volumes. My friend expressed her surprise at the amount of read- 
ing she had been able to accomplish in so short a time, but her reply was, 
" Oh, that is so little. I would count that year a blank in which I had not 
read a good many more than thirty books." 

Isn't that like her? So anxious to increase her information that she 
might increase her means of doing good. I have never met her equal 
for untiring patience in good works. 

" Like some fair spirit from the realms of rest, 
With all her native heaven vs^ithin her breast, 
So pure, so good, she scarce can g^uess at sin, 
But thinks the world without like that within. 
Such melting tenderness, so fond to bless, 
Her charity almost becomes excess ; 
Wealth may be courted, wisdom may be revered, 
And beauty praised and brutal strength be feared, 
But goodness only can affection move. 
And love must owe its origin to love." 

Helen Matthews Robinson. 



Syracuse, Kansas. 

I cannot express the love and gratitude I feel for Mrs. Stoddard. She 
was a real friend in every sense of the word. As a teacher she was kind. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATION'S 167 

and ever ready to help over the hard places which school-girls always 
find and cannot manage alone. 

When we were deserving of credit, she always gave us unstinted praise 
and encouraged us so much that we worked all the harder, for very 
gratitude. I was in both Doctor Scarff's and Professor Currier's classes, 
and for them I feel the deepest regard and admiration as teachers and 
guides for the youth. 

The " Friday afternoon " lectures I think I remember with more pleas- 
ure than any other feature of the school work, for that was all interesting, 
with no drudgery about it. The many useful things Mrs. Stoddard told 
us come to me almost every day, and help me in my duties as wife and 
mother constantly. Mrs. Stoddard has always been, to me, an ideal 
woman, perfection in every thing, as well as in teaching ability. I am 
proud to have been under the care of such gifted and accomplished in- 
structors as these I mention, and I have none but delightful remembrances 
of my intercourse with them. 

The school was blest in being in their charge, and if the people of the 
community are not thankful for having such noble men and women in 
their midst, they would be lacking in appreciation; which I am sure they 
are not, for I know they loved and honored them as but few people are 
loved and honored by their friends and neighbors. May they long live to 
direct, by precept and example, and to enjoy the fruits of lives spent in 
the fulfilment of duty. With love, 

Sarah Towne McKeever. 

Knoxville, Iowa. 

Our dear friend, Mrs. Stoddard, deserves much more credit and dis- 
tinction for her self-sacrificing devotion to the cause of humanity and 
education than she has ever received. 

I earnestly hope your book will be a success, and that you will reap 
the rich reward you deserve for undertaking to perpetuate the memory 
of one so true and noble. 

Mrs. Stoddard has certainly proved a sincere friend and helper to all 
who came within her reach, and especially to the young girls who attended 
school at the University. 

It has always seemed to me that, amid all her family cares, she did more 
for the real good of mankind than the majority do who devote all their 
time to philanthropy. 

More than thirty years have elapsed since I was in school, and yet, in 
almost every community in this part of the State, one or more respected 
citizens, who attended the school during the time Mrs. Stoddard taught, 
is living to speak her praise, and in whose memory she is still cherished 
next to a loving mother or sister. In our family (my mother's), we adore 



i68 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

her, for it was when we needed a friend truly that we first met her, and in 
her found a cheerful and loving one. 

No one knows the good she has done. Truly the poor and afflicted, 
as well as the fortunate ones, wherever she lives, are her special charge. 
There are no bounds to her works of love and mercy. She was unlike 
many of the educators of the present time. She did not tie herself to 
instruction in a special line, and while education to " lift the lowest to the 
highest " was her theme, and while she helped hundreds of students to 
understand their slumbering abilities, and to start on the road to usefulness 
and prominence, she believed and taught that great success was only 
attainable when the heart was pure, and the hands willing to do whatever 
they found waiting for them. Laziness she hated with a religious hatred, 
and one of her habits was to practise what she taught. As an example, 
she nearly always kept her knitting, or other small work, on her desk 
during school hours, and any spare moments during recitation hours, she 
busied herself by doing something useful. She trained her children in the 
way she taught others to go. I remember her young daughters took 
mending to school, and when their lessons were learned and they inclined 
to mischief, she required them to patch their pinafores and dresses. She 
was truly a loving mother, but she did not allow her parental care and love 
to so wholly occupy her mind that she could not look out over the world, 
and plan and help others less fortunate; and while her greatest and most 
earnest desire was that her own children might grow to a noble maturity, 
her large soul encompassed the children of every nation, even the heathen, 
and she wanted them all to be cared for as well as hers. I will give a single 
example of her thoughtfulness for others, which corresponds, in a high 
degree, with all her exalted views and unselfish principles. There was 
then, as now, the proud, poor, ambitious class, and with her keen percep- 
tion, and without explanation, she saw they had much to contend with 
which they might not be able to overcome unless they had before them a 
strong and beautiful example. This class of young men and women could 
not dress well and hope to secure means to pay board and tuition. To 
meet the emergency, Mrs. Stoddard dressed her own children plainly. 
I well remember how she went to the country and bought home-made 
flannel of a farmer's wife for her daughter's school dresses, and had them 
wear plain leather boots. Any of the school-girls could afford as good 
apparel, and it was considered good economy and healthful. The young 
ladies of the school did not dislike to go clad in coarse material when 
they knew that Mrs. Stoddard's daughters would dress in the same way, 
even if a few did wear fine clothes. Thus a good many students were 
gained for the College, and the world will never know the good this little 
act of kindness has done, or what an influence it has had in moulding the 
character of the great State of Iowa. Our little country College has not 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 169 

the reputation of a Harvard or a Yale, but it is doubtful if either, accord- 
ing to the number educated, has sent out, into the various occupations 
and professions, a greater number of truly honest, practical men, to 
say nothing of the well-equipped young w^omen who have been educated 
there, and have scattered all over the State and the West. This, indeed, 
has been a school where honesty, practical knowledge, and Christianity 
have been the most dwelt upon, but the Arts and Sciences have not been 
neglected, and have been carried along with the Christian graces in a way 
to prove the value of the school and its advantages. " Truly the wise do 
not judge of men's merits by their qualifications, but by the use they 
make of them," and most of our students have been a credit to the 
Institution. Mary E. Donley {nee Mary Davenport). 

Pella, Iowa. 
I am sorry I was not in college while Mrs. Stoddard was teaching. She 
went to India about the time we went to Pella. There is one whose tongue 
is forever silenced, who could grow eloquent over her teachings Snd lovely 
influence, but he has entered into his rest. 

Mary Smith Morgan. 

Boise City, Idaho. 

My Dear Schoolmate: I send you a tribute of praise for our loved 
teacher, Mrs. Stoddard, which I deem not only a pleasure, but an honor, 
to give to one who was so good and kind to us as school-girls. She 
not only taught us in books, but in morals and refinement. Friday after- 
noons was the time devoted to reading essays and declaiming, in the 
College chapel; afterwards, Mrs. Stoddard gave us a talk in her own 
school-room. We can never tell how much those talks and her own ex- 
ample have done toward shaping our lives. She also set the example of 
industry, to which the boys seemed to take an exception, as she brought 
her knitting in the chapel, Friday afternoons, and knit while she listened 
to the young people go through with their exercises. 

Mrs. Stoddard was an exemplary woman, and we all loved her. 

In the spring of 1866 she and Dr. Stoddard gave addresses in 
Scholte's church, taking their departure the next day for India, as mis- 
sionaries. I have not seen her since, but the memory of her loveliness 
will ever remain. Your friend, 

Carrie Matthews Stamper. 

1402 Beacon Street, Brookline, Mass. 
It gives me sincere pleasure to learn that you are contemplating giving 
to the friends and students of the Central University a history of the life 
of dear Mrs. Stoddard. 



I70 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

She is a woman of rare excellence. Her purity, simplicity, and up- 
rightness cause her to be respected by all as a Christian of the higher 
type. Few in any of the walks of life have better honored their Christian 
profession. Those who knew her as teacher and adviser, as well as those 
who will never know her except by tradition, will welcome all the precious 
memories of her noble, consecrated life. 

Her pupils remember her with deep filial affection, and never can they 
forget that she obeyed the Master's command: " Go ye into all the world 
and preach the gospel to every creature." 

Very sincerely yours, 

Anna Cotton Thing. 

San Bernardino, Cal. 
. . . Mrs. Stoddard is entitled to our best efforts, and I am not 
able to express the love and gratitude I owe her. Without her encourage- 
ment and help, my school-days would have been ended during the miser- 
able days of the war. Her influence for good is always with me, and I 
wonder if we fully appreciate the advantages we enjoyed by coming under 
such influence in our girlhood days. Lovingly yours, 

Sarah Sumner Shoup. 

Knoxville, Iowa. 

Add my testimony to the general fund of respect and esteem for Mrs. 
Stoddard. Yes, gladly, although what little I may say may not half 
express my interest in the subject. 

My recollections of her as a teacher are most vivid. Over all with 
whom she was associated she exerted an influence every way for good. She 
had none of the petty weaknesses and vanities of most women; she had a 
standard of her own, a high one, and paid little attention to what others 
might consider the proper thing to do. She took a personal interest in 
all of us, and all that concerned us; and now whenever we visit the old 
Alma Mater and call on Mrs. Stoddard, as, if time permits, we are sure 
to do, she is ready with a warm welcome, and an earnest inquiry of all 
that concerns our health and happiness. God bless her! and long may 
she live to brighter recollections of the happy days in Old Central. 

Yours affectionately, 

Sylvia Sperry Eberhardt. 

Iowa City, Iowa. 

I am very glad to add a few words of praise of the life and work of dear 
Mrs. Stoddard. 

As a young girl of fourteen, when I was first under her instruction, I 
realized that her life was grand and noble, and as " Principal " of the 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 171 

young ladies' department, I think the influence she exerted over me was 
most beneficial and inspiring. 

Many times in after years, as my children were growing up around 
me, have I thought of the dear, kind teacher of my girlhood days, and the 
sweet pleasant memories that clustered around them. I am sure her 
strong, noble nature has been a power in moulding the lives of those under 
her care. I know that mine has been braver and stronger on account of 
her kind, watchful oversight and instruction. 

Affectionately, 

Rhoda Craven Howell. 

MiTCHELLVILLE, loWA. 

You ask me to write something of the " never-to-be-forgotten days " 
of the '60s, " when you and I were young." 

It was with pleasure I learned of the work you had undertaken. 

Mrs. Stoddard occupies a place all her own in the affections and the 
memory of the boys and girls of former days. Nor can we evfr forget 
the faithfulness and the fidelity of Dr. Scarff, Dr. Gunn, and Professor 
Currier; but Mrs. Stoddard was the " Mother" of the Institution. As 
with thirty years of life's experience, I now look back upon their labors 
for and with us, I can see how, day by day, she planned and sacrificed to 
advance the best interest of all; forgetful of her own pleasure and comfort, 
only as she found it in the results of her work, upon the lives of those 
around her. 

We were young and joyous, full of fun and frolic, and intensely inter- 
ested in ourselves. We expected much from the College and the Profes- 
sors, but we did not then, as now, know how much of self was sacrificed 
by those devoted teachers. 

I was so fortunate as to be a frequent visitor at Mrs. Stoddard's home. 
Then, as now, every table was piled with papers and magazines in tempting 
array. If she thought a student was not sufficiently interested in solid, 
instructive reading, she would, in her irresistible way, invite him to go 
with her to look up a certain subject in which she had been trying to inter- 
est him, and without his being aware of it, he found himself taking pleasure 
in a better class of reading, and filled with nobler ambitions. 

The Christian atmosphere which pervaded the home of Dr. and 
Mrs. Stoddard will never be forgotten by many of the students. In that 
busy household, where every moment had its allotted work, there was 
always time for Scripture reading and prayers, and every one felt the spirit 
of devotion. It was here I knew the lovely Aristene Wells, Mrs. Stod- 
dard's niece, one of the noblest and most talented of the old-time students. 

In the class-room Mrs. Stoddard had the faculty of commanding atten- 
tion and arousing the interest of her pupils. Her daily walk and con- 



172 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

versation was a convincing argument for the deality of a living life, active 
Christianity, and all who came in contact with her felt that this was the 
guiding principle of her life. She did very little lecturing; it was a word 
in season, a look by which she saw into the depths of the heart. Who 
does not remember Mrs. Stoddard's look? Those wide-open eyes, in 
which we saw so much of reproof if we needed it; and how well we knew 
that we were wrong! She always had time and sympathy for those in real 
trouble, and she had a peculiar faculty of dispelling clouds. I well remem- 
ber meeting her in the front hall before " chapel " one morning, and 
remarking with a discouraged air, that things were going all wrong; she 
simply said: 

" I never had a piece of bread, 
All buttered nice and wide, 
• But 'twas sure to fall on the sanded floor, 

And on the buttered side," 

and proceeded on her way without another word, but I had received a 
lesson. 

The students knew they had a true friend in Mrs. Stoddard, and now, 
when the cares of life weigh heavily upon them, many are the letters she 
receives asking advice, or telling her of their joys or sorrows. Only the 
Father in heaven knows all that she has been to her pupils, and when He 
cometh to make up his jewels, she will receive her reward. 

Louisa B. Morgan. 

Pella, Iowa. 
How often, when the college bell spoke to the students, did the desire 
to attend school rise in me, to be one of the number. Professor Currier 
and Dr. J. G. Howell especially urged me to go, and also urged my 
parents to grant me permission to become one of Central's pupils. Indeed 
the Doctor succeeded in making such arrangements as were satisfactory 
to my father; i. e., by enabling me to work for my tuition. 

In September, 1859, I was enrolled, and how ardent was my hope that 
my discharge would not occur until at least three years had passed! The 
teachers to whom I was assigned were Professor Currier and Mrs. Stod- 
dard. She being a stranger to me, I stood in awe of her, or rather 
imagined I did. Upon making her acquaintance, all fear vanished, and 
respect took its place. All the students treated her with great deference. 
I can now see her demonstrating problems, or analyzing sentences in such 
a way that she fixed the attention of the entire class. One instance I 
recall of a young lady who was obliged to leave College during the term. 
Upon entering the building one morning, I saw her standing in the hall, 
with her hands clasped in Mrs. Stoddard's. Tears were rolling down her 




GROUP FIFTEEN. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 173 

cheeks. Undoubtedly good, Christian advice was being given in a motherly 
way, and the effect was visible. 

During my stay at the College, I learned to love Mrs. Stoddard almost 
as a mother, and it was plain to be seen that a similar feeling pervaded 
the whole school. Nor was this a fleeting admiration, for it still exists; 
and when one of Central's old-timers is met, the question of Mrs. Stod- 
dard's welfare is uppermost. My labors have always been in Pella. I 
was present when, as a missionary, she started out with her husband for 
India. Their leave-taking proved to them that their old friends were 
many and true. Their return to the " City of Refuge," in later years, was 
a token that this fact was appreciated by them. Both Dr. and Mrs. 
Stoddard are true friends of the Central University, and I feel certain that 
the wish, " Mother in Israel, may you be with us for many years, and enjoy 
Heaven's choicest blessings," will find an echo in the hearts of all her 
acquaintances. 

John H. Stubenrach. 

% 
Lynnville, Iowa. 

Your letter of recent date, asking me to furnish a short reminiscence 
of my early associations with our beloved and honored teacher, Mrs. D. C. 
A. Stoddard, and her influence over the life and character of myself and 
others, carries me back in memory to the autumn of i860, when, a shy, 
awkward country girl of seventeen, I first entered the Iowa Central Uni- 
versity, where she then occupied the threefold position of teacher, over- 
seer, and mother of all the girls. 

Among the varied experiences of nearly half a century, none stands out 
more prominently than those of the first morning, when, shrinking and 
unattended, I entered the portals of our Alma Mater, which to my un- 
tutored mind seemed the centre of all wisdom, learning, and culture. In 
point of intellectual acquirements, I felt like a veritable lilliputian in the 
company of giants. Groups of laughing girls moved around the halls, 
greeting old friends and making new ones, while I stood alone and 
apparently unnoticed. But not for long. Mrs. Stoddard, ever on the 
alert for just such forlorn creatures, spied the " new girl," and, with the 
kindest smile and most unaffected simplicity and cordiality, came forward 
to greet me and bid me welcome. She inquired concerning the studies 
I wished to pursue, and introduced me to the professors who had charge 
of those branches. From that crucial morning all through the six terrible 
years of strife and commotion which followed, her interest in me never 
flagged, and her kindness knew no bounds. 

The assistance my parents were able to offer me in my struggle for an 
education was so meagre that many times I v/ould have been compelled 
to leave school had it not been for her timely aid, proffered with such deli- 



174 ^ BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

cacy and tact that its acceptance assumed the appearance of a favor con- 
ferred. The College was not endowed, and the salaries of teachers were 
necessarily small, being a division of the tuition each term. Mrs. Stod- 
dard invariably came to me with these gracious words: " I have asked the 
President to give me your bill, and those of certain others, as my portion. 
You can settle with me whenever it is convenient to yourself, but in no 
case hamper yourself or quit school for lack of funds." She never failed 
to write me during vacation, inquiring about my plans, and urging me to 
return to school in the fall, and not infrequently invited me to share the 
hospitalities of her home until satisfactorily settled. Her strong faith in 
me, coupled with her unfailing kindness, awakened in me such a deep sense 
of obligation that I felt in duty bound to make the most of my opportuni- 
ties as a sort of compensation to her. That I did not enjoy a monopoly 
of her favors many will testify. Her Friday afternoon lectures or talks, 
as she called them, were of incalculable benefit to me in many ways, as 
they were, doubtless, to others. Though constantly stimulating our de- 
sires for learning, she never suffered us to lose sight of the fact that true 
culture was threefold in its nature; physical, moral, and intellectual. To 
be well balanced and fully equipped for an honorable and useful career, one 
must have a cultivated mind in a strong and healthy body, under the con- 
trolling influence of deep, moral convictions. She was, herself, a perfect 
model of this threefold development. Her splendid form was a constant 
incentive to physical culture, while her insistence on obedience to hygienic 
laws made one feel that delicate health, instead of being an evidence of 
refinement, as some of us foolishly supposed, was an evidence of violated 
law. Her simplicity of dress was a boon to those who were obliged to 
study economy and a check to those inclined to superfluity. Those who 
attempted to soar above their level on borrowed wings were not long in 
finding out that to present as their own the thoughts and sentiments of 
others without due acknowledgment, was downright dishonesty and not 
to be tolerated. Many a girl whose " original " essay was shorn of its 
finest thoughts and most finished sentences by the vigorous stroke of her 
relentless pen, can testify to her abhorrence of shams. I think that I can 
safely say that her influence over my life was more potent for good than 
that of any other person, unless I except that of my own good mother. 

Mattie Payton Mayfield. 



Eagle Grove, Iowa. 

For me, the prelude to each of those happy school days, the days of 
" long, long thoughts," was the straight walk in the Campus, canopied 
with maple shade, and a sight of a little, low house with latticed porches 
on the corner. Here lived a dear, sweet lady, her brown hair combed 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 175 

smoothly down over her ears and her sweet eyes always smiling such a 
friendly greeting as I passed. 

For me, this wonderful little woman was enveloped in romance. She 
whom I saw so often had crossed the ocean and lived for years in that 
weird country called Assam. She had a sunny little room, filled with 
remembrances of this mysterious people. More, she could mingle their 
musical language with our every-day English, and to me, her English 
speech seemed tuned to the musical sweetness of Assam. 

It was a mystery to me then, felt but unexpressed, how she, who had 
seen such wonders, could be contented just to live her home life and be as 
common mortals. 

Always on summer afternoons, when she led me through the border- 
land of botany, and we went on little exploring trips to the woods, the 
conversation was illumined by the light of her experience. I felt that 
which I could not express. So too, I felt the lesson of her noble life, and 
time has crystallized this feeling into thoughts and words. 

Ida a. B^er. 

Des Moines, Iowa. 

I am heartily glad that you have undertaken this labor of love, and I 
know that you will gain the grateful thanks of many old students of Central 
University who knew Mrs. Stoddard in her active connection with its 
work. 

I came to Pella at a later period, but had the pleasure of spending my 
first few weeks in Iowa in her home, and your letter brings that home 
and its inmates before my mind like a well-remembered picture. It was a 
good deal more than a seven-years' wonder to me in many respects. In 
the first place, the house was filled with all sorts of souvenirs of the long 
stay of the family in the far East: weapons of war and implements of 
peace; murderous-looking " creeses," with waving flame-like blades and 
uncomfortable handles; native shields of straw, of leather, and of brass, 
plain or inlaid, or embossed with silver; rolls and books in Eastern 
languages, with the lines commencing at the southwest corner and reading 
back-handed; books sacred and secular, with realistic pictures of such 
recondite subjects as "Thunder," "The Soul," etc.; household utensils 
of various shapes and doubtful uses; miniature wooden natives, dressed 
(and undressed) in all varieties of costumes; stufifed lizards, like young 
alligators; idols and gnomes innumerable, in pottery and bronze, and, in 
a post of honor on a bracket above the organ, " Great Buddha " himself 
in alabaster, the eternal calm of Nirvana in his attitude and expression. 

In the second place, the family paralyzed me by dropping occasionally 
from the English language to the Assamese, apparently unconscious that 
my linguistic acquirements in winter terms of backwoods Vermont 



176 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

schools left me a little deficient in some of the idioms of the Assamese 
vernacular. When I had become better acquainted, I found the inmates, 
in their catholic breadth of ideas, even more cosmopolitan than their 
surroundings; yet with all their experience in varied duties in both hemi- 
spheres, then her greatest and first care was Central University. In the 
hearts of Mr. and Mrs. Stoddard, its demands were as sacred as those of 
the Church, and they have given to it the best years of their lives, the best 
thoughts of their minds, and the best part of their means, with the sole 
idea of making it an influence of lasting good. Such zeal and sacrifice 
were not given unrewarded, for the graduates of Old Central have made 
their mark well up in all honorable vocations of life. 

The most of these successful graduates knew Mrs. Stoddard as a warm 
friend, many of them became students through her persistent and kindly 
urging, and all have reason to thank her for much that has made their 
success possible. Her broad culture and wide experience have been a 
store of wealth, as open to the student as her purse and services were to the 
University. Hers has been the noble work of a noble and cultured woman, 
and I am glad that you did not wait until her warm heart was forever still 
before giving her the praise she has so grandly earned. 

Very truly yours, 

Ira M. Earle. 

Lincoln, Nebraska. 

I call your impulse to do this work an inspiration; and what one is 
impelled or inspired to do from within is surely his own appointed work. 

I think my mother's strongest characteristic is her ability to draw out 
and develop the best qualities of those who come under her care and in- 
fluence. She always expected the best of her pupils, and as a consequence, 
received their best efforts in return. Her love of knowledge, for its own 
sake, is equalled only by her love of imparting knowledge. In one, she 
is so eager, in the other, so interesting and earnest, that those she teaches 
are inspired with a like enthusiasm. Then the nobility of her character, 
the high plane upon which she lived and thought, drew out the nobility 
of others, for goodness surely attracts and develops goodness. It is the 
personality of a teacher that moulds the character of pupils more than 
book-learning or the method of teaching. 

A great help to my mother in giving instruction was her quickness 
and keenness in reading character and understanding dispositions. I 
never knew her to be mistaken in any one. Then she knew how to 
develop the good in a scholar by the aid of less noble qualities. I can 
make my meaning clearer by a personal reminiscence. When a very little 
girl, my strongest characteristic was my love of approbation. I remember 
I had very little idea of the difference between falsehood and truth, and 




i 






jC 




^ 0^ 



m 



^ i 



tj 





a^ 



GROUP SIXTEEN. 




AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 177 

much less conscience about it. I liked to tell of everything I saw or heard 
in such a way as to gain applause or cause laughter. My mother knew 
that I did not fabricate for the sake of deceit or secrecy, for I kept no secrets 
and told too much. Yet she never accused me of falsehood. Instead, she 
took every means, by her own words and those of the Bible, to impress 
upon me the value of truth; that to be truthful was better than to be wise 
or witty; that the best character of all was one that could be trusted with 
things or with thoughts. She sometimes confided to me matters which 
seemed important affairs, often saying: " Speak to no one of this, for I 
trust it with you." She always listened to my tales with apparent confi- 
dence, would turn to me after another had related something, " How does 
Ella say it happened? " as though I was the one to be believed. Once, 
when coming to her brimful of new history, I thought, " Now I must say 
it exactly as it was; that will be the truth; and if I do not, mamma will 
never believe me again." There was the sprouting of my conscience. You 
see how wisely she planted the seed and cultivated the soil. She had like 
wisdom in cultivating good qualities in older pupils. How diflferent the 
policy of some of the teachers of to-day who practise a system oiespion- 
age and suspicion upon their pupils that stunts self-respect and increases 
bad behavior. 

One evening last summer, I sat at a table surrounded by old students 
and teachers. Mirth was unconfined; it could not be otherwise with such 
a host as Murray Cox. In the midst of repartee and merry laughter, I felt 
a sudden tension at my throat and the tears came into my eyes. There, 
at the other side of the table, sat Dr. Scarfif, chained to his chair and 
dumb with paralysis; near by was my mother shut in by a wall of deafness. 
You could not have told by their faces that they did not enjoy as much as 
the others who could hear and answer. Yet I could not help thinking of 
their imprisonment. Why are they deprived of all this pleasure while we 
enjoy it so fully? Why are they afBicted in such a way that they lose their 
greatest joy, the pleasure of teaching? One thing my mother still enjoys 
in full, the pleasure of visiting with and hearing from her former pupils. 
She is still an ideal teacher in her motherliness. Her pupils are her chil- 
dren, and she is as much interested in their children as though she was 
grandmother to them all. Then she has such an abundance of love left 
for her very own, that we are not in the least jealous of you. 

With kind regards always, 

Ella Stoddard Ryan. 

School for the Deaf and Dumb, 

Council Bluffs, Iowa. 
I believe in the " White Flower " movement while our friends are still 
with us. . Why wait until they have passed into the " Beyond " before 



178 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

we say what good their influence has accomplished? Honest praise for 
honest endeavor often sends us along to higher effort. The poet has ex- 
pressed my sentiments in this respect: 



Keep not your kisses for my cold, dead brow, 
The way is lonely, let me feel them now. 
Think gently of me, I am travel-worn. 
When dreamless rest is mine I shall not need 
The tenderness for which I plead." 



My personal knowledge of Mrs. Stoddard dates back to my earliest 
childhood. Indeed, Mrs. Stoddard and Central University are synony- 
mous in my mind. As a toddling child, I used to attend Sunday-school 
in the College Chapel with my older brothers and sisters, who were pupils 
of Mrs. Stoddard's. I can remember thinking then of Central University 
as a large building in the College Campus, with wonderful possibilities 
in the line of hazel-nuts in the rear, and an immense hickory-nut tree, 
which was the goal of ambition of the college youth, and always in con- 
nection with the College would come its rival attraction, Mrs. Stod- 
dard's home, at one corner of the Campus, the house stacked with curi- 
osities from foreign lands, herself the pervading spirit of the place. What 
pleasure she took in imparting her knowledge to us! Then comes a 
blank of a good many years; I was not a student of the College until 
1885. Consequently I did not have the good fortune to be one of Mrs. 
Stoddard's pupils. But of later years, her companionship and suggestions 
have been of untold value to me. In fact, hers was a valuable influence 
always; especially valuable in that it was not felt by the individual alone 
over whom it was shed, but extended through them into the homes of the 
entire community. 

My father knew her quite intimately through all her sojourn in Pella, 
and well remembers her connection with the School during the Rebellion. 
The College classes at that time were nearly .broken up by so many pupils 
going to the war and the financial depression which followed. We feared 
we would lose our School and buildings. Some were in favor of selling 
out and giving up, thinking it impossible to meet the liabilities and to 
keep it running successfully. It was then that Dr. and Mrs. Stoddard, 
Dr. Scarff, and Professor Currier came to the rescue. They pledged 
all they had and assumed all the responsibilities of freeing the School 
from debt. I think the College owes its existence to-day to their pluck 
and energy. It is true, without the hearty cooperation of many more 
warm friends, they would have failed. When I received your letter, I 
asked my father what he thought of Mrs. Stoddard's work in the School 
and of her influence in the city. He said: " I think (and your dear mother 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 179 

thought the same), from my personal knowledge of Mrs. Stoddard, that 
she, by her educational ability and exemplary life, has done a great work 
for the College and community that will continue to live long after she has 
passed into the spirit land, and it will be said of her, ' though being dead, 
her works will follow her,' and eternity will alone reveal the good work 
of her life upon the generations following. Your mother and I always 
regarded her as one of God's noblest women." This sincere tribute from 
one who had known her for so many years, I consider more valuable than 
anything I can say. I wish I could command language whereby I might 
express to you the appreciation and admiration I have for her. But I am 
sure your ability will lead you to say all that I would wish to write. 

Your friend, 

Margaret Hamilton. 

Carthage, Illinois. 

I can hardly believe that thirty-two years and more have passed since 
I left school, almost an average lifetime, and this lovely Octobei*weather 
tones me up, and I feel as if I should delight to go back to my books and 
begin over again. 

I am sure I could do better work now, could comprehend, assimilate, 
and make my own much that was dim and obscure in the earlier days. 

Having relatives in Iowa City, I frequently hear through them of 
Professor Currier. His interest in Pella, and the old students he taught 
there, has been unremitting, and we all remember him as the " Bonaparte " 
who marched us over the " Alps." Were you ever in his class of Mental 
Arithmetic? It was the grandest drill imaginable. 

My last year in college was a lonely one, with my classmates so largely 
numbered with the soldiery, yet when I call to mind the lovely times Pro- 
fessor Scarf¥ made for me in recitation, I think I may say it was all beauti- 
ful. His instructions were so graciously given, so fair, so true, and the 
tone of it all was clear and ringing. 

I can never pay my obligations to these dear instructors, but, by a 
good life, and striving to follow their leading, I hope, in some measure, 
to show my appreciation of their work. 

But after all I may say of others, and I gladly and affectionately lay 
down my tribute to their valuable efforts in my interest, still it is to the 
practical teaching and personal influence of our dear, faithful Mrs. Stod- 
dard that I am most conscious of being indebted for all I am worth. 

She is the one who, having " put her hand to the plough," never let go. 
I have, all these years, had the pleasure of a correspondence with Mrs. 
Stoddard, more or less interrupted. As the years have gone by I have 
realized m.ore and more how much she has been to me an inspiration to 
better things. 



i8o A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

My practical, everyday life has so often been made interesting by some 
suggested thought of the school-day lessons. 

Her plain manner of dealing with our delinquencies was something 
unpleasant to observe but lasting in benefits. I suppose I needed all the 
reprimands I received, and many more that were graciously omitted, and 
when 1 recall the wilful waywardness of those days, I am sure I must have 
been a great trial to this dear friend. 

There was much that was hard to bear in those years preceding the 
war, and all the way along. Yet how bravely she endured the hardships 
of those gruesome days! How much courage and hope she put into the 
young lives around her, that later on developed into the good and useful 
manhood and womanhood that has risen up to bless her name! I know 
she is still true to the love of Old Central, and does not forget to jog 
the memories of any and all who can, in any way, be laid under tribute 
for helping on the interests there. 

If some one of us should find himself with a few extra dollars at any 
time, I am sure she would be ready to tell him of some good thing he could 
do to help our Alma Mater, and let us not forget to meet our obligations 
in this line when the time comes. 

Lovingly yours, 

Fannie Barker Cutler. 

P. S. — You ask me what I have been doing since I left school. I might 
repeat an old anecdote of my brother's with some appropriateness here. 
He says he went out one day to the cemetery where was buried one Mrs. 
Sims, and he called out, " Mrs. Sims, what are you doing there? " and the 
answer was, " Nothing." 

Des Moines, Iowa. 

I realize an attempt to express in a letter what I know Mrs. Stoddard 
to have been to the students of Central University would be impossible. 
It would fill a book. 

However, it gives me pleasure to say that the names of Mr. and Mrs. 
Stoddard were household words in my father's family from my earliest 
recollection. I learned to admire Mrs. Stoddard from what I heard of her, 
afterwards learned to love her for what I knew of her. I was, happily, a 
student of I. C. U. a part of the time when she occupied the position of 
" Mother " to the girls in the school, and the impression made upon me 
by her Friday afternoon talks, to which I listened so attentively because 
of my full belief in the speaker, have remained with me through over 
twenty years of life. She seldom talked to us upon what might have been 
classed the " popular subjects of the day," but she dealt with matters of real 
life which would make us stronger, physically, mentally, and morally. The 









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GROUP SEVENTEEN. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS i8i 

spirit of " mother love " was felt in every talk, as she instructed us upon 
almost every phase of woman life. Her watchwords were ever " truth- 
fulness, purity, and kindliness." 

Her sympathy for others was always quick and strong. I have seen 
the tears come to her eyes at the knowledge of misfortune, and again, 
her face fill with pleasure in knowing that happiness had come to others. 
She was ever forgetful of self, and never tried to impress us with an idea 
of her own worth, unless I may say upon one occasion. She had been 
telling us of the importance of prayer in our daily life, and that we should 
ask for everything we needed, and added, that when Mr. Stoddard was a 
young man he had often prayed to God to give him a good wife, and he 
claimicd that the prayer had been answered. She encouraged us in being 
industrious, that we might become useful women. She was pleased to 
have us bring fancy work while we listened to her addresses. 

The number of noble women and mothers who have gone out from her 
training are shining examples of good work. In later years I see her 
seldom, but her interest in me and the things which go to mal^ up my 
life is just as strong as when I was a school-girl. To me, her true worth 
and friendship are of the real things of life that are pleasant and enduring. 

Tedee M. Earle. 

Leon, Iowa. 

Dear Friend: I am pleased to know that you have determined to write 
the biography, and thus perpetuate the memory and life of that noble 
woman, Mrs. Stoddard. 

I knew her as a friend and teacher, the three or four years I was at the 
Central University as a pupil. I first became acquainted with her in 1861 ; 
I was there during the years 1861 and 1862. Then the terrible war came 
on, and one hundred and twenty-four of the young men and one of the 
professors — Currier — laid down their books, took up their muskets and 
went to the front. How well I remember the morning of April 14, 1861, 
when we learned that Sumter had been fired on, and the prayer of 
President Gunn at chapel exercises that morning! I can see that noble 
woman, Mrs. Stoddard, as she sat on the platform, with the tears stream- 
ing down her face. 

While I felt it was my duty to enlist in the services of my country, still 
I was anxious to remain at school. I could not decide the question my- 
self, so I went to Mrs. Stoddard, in whom I had the utmost confidence, and 
told her my feelings in regard to the matter, and I distinctly remember 
what she said to me. Her advice was, " Don't be in a hurry, John; there 
are plenty who are willing to go to fill all calls so far made." I took her 
advice and remained until the close of the school year of 1862. At the end 
of that year, when I bade her good-by, I said to her, " I will not be here 



i82 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

next year; I must go to the 'front' with the rest of the boys." Her 
response was, " The country now needs your services; go, and may God 
bless you and permit you to return." 

When the war closed and I was on my way home in the spring of 1866, 
I stopped at the University to visit my brother and other old friends, with- 
out any expectation of entering the school again. The next day I met 
Mrs. Stoddard; she gave me a warm welcome, and then said: "Well, you 
are coming back to school, of course." I said: "No, I am getting too 
old." Her reply was: " Not a bit of it; " and then she said, " You asked 
my advice before you went to the army, and I am going to give you some 
advice now without your asking for it. Go home and visit your people, 
then come back to college, and you will never regret having followed 
my advice a second time." I told her I would give the matter due 
consideration, but at the same time I had no idea I would return. I did 
go home and visit my people, and in a few days idleness became a burden 
to me. I submitted the question to my mother and told her the advice 
Mrs. Stoddard had given me, and she said: " I believe that is the very 
best thing you can do." The next day I gathered up my books and went 
back to the University. When I saw Mrs. Stoddard she remarked, " Well, 
I see you have concluded to take my advice again," and, as she well said, 
I have never regretted having done so. I have always regarded this as a 
favorable turning-point in my life. Her counsel and advice have been of 
inestimable value to me, as they have been to many others. Her whole 
soul was in her work; she lived to benefit and bless others. 

I had not met her since I left the University until the summer of 1889. 
I was attending the Chautauquan Assembly at Colfax. On " Recognition 
Day," to my great surprise, she appeared as a member of that year and 
received her diploma. 

As a teacher she loved her work, and inspired her pupils to the greatest 
efforts. While firm, she was impartial, kind, and affectionate, and in- 
variably won the esteem and love of her pupils. 

Hoping you may be inspired by the noble work you have undertaken, 
I remain your friend and classmate, 

John W. Harvey. 



Floris, Iowa. 

The name of Mrs. Stoddard is very dear to me, as I am sure it is to all 
the old students. She is " one among a thousand." To know her is to 
love her, and to-day Old Central is in need of just such a guiding hand 
among the girls. They need her influence. 

In the first place, she was a great reader of human nature; she read the 
character of each student and dealt with her accordingly. While she was 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 183 

not stern, she was always firm and had the interest of each student as much 
at heart as if he had been one of her own family. 

I think her " Friday afternoon " talks with the girls had much to do 
with her success. I know, personally, they were a great help to me, and I 
cannot say too much in her praise. 

She always knew where the girls were and what they were doing, but 
she never seemed to be watching them. 

I lived with her in her home, and she was always the same dear, loving 
character that we met day by day in the school-room. She was more 
than a mother to me, and I am proud to-day to be called her friend. 

Wishing you great success in your undertaking, I am. 

Your friend always, 

MoLLiE Sweeney Briggs. 



Knoxville, Iowa. 

I am glad to know that you are writing a biography of Mrs. Stoddard. 
I was a student in the College in Pella, in 1858 and 1859, and it was my 
good fortune to be in one of Mrs. Stoddard's classes. We studied Cutler's 
Physiology. The class was composed of the following students, whom it 
will interest you to hear named over: H. F. Bousquet, Henry Morgan, 
Eliza Ritner, Hattie Eastman, Miss Osborn, Mr. Osborn, my brothers 
John and Joseph, and myself. Mrs. Stoddard gave instruction to our 
great satisfaction and benefit. I was prejudiced against women teachers 
when I went into the class, but I was well satisfied that she knew her 
business when the close of the term came. 

Again in 1860-61 I was a student at Old Central; I was again in a 
class under Mrs. Stoddard's direction. In our history class were Sarah 
Sumner, Lydia Davenport, W. H. Barker, W. H. Sumner, H. H. Daven- 
port, and myself. At the end of the term we all passed a good examina- 
tion, thanks to our teacher's efforts. 

I think Mrs. Stoddard is one of God's noblest women; she is pains- 
taking, patient, kind, and true to her calling. As a teacher she was firm, 
positive, yet lovable. 

She was, and is, an unusual woman. 

E. B. RUCKMAN. 



Omaha, Nebraska. 
I am delighted that you are to publicly recognize the eminent services 
which our dear Mrs. Stoddard has rendered the students of Central Uni- 
versity. While I was too young to enjoy the advantages aflforded by 
her as a teacher, yet indirectly I was benefited through my sister Edie, 
who was a life-long admirer of this gifted woman (the woman as well as 



1 84 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

the instructor), and if she were here to-day, nothing would afford her more 
pleasure than to add her words of praise and gratitude. 

I assure you I am most happy to be able to eulogize her while she is yet 
among the living. Dear, grand woman, her influence will extend to many 
generations. What a pity such beautiful and useful lives cannot remain 
with us forever. 

I always have felt that I had her hearty sympathy and " God speed you, 
daughter," in the practice of my profession. 

May her remaining days be more beautiful than ever, and may her 
heart be warmed by our words of praise. 

Most sincerely, 

Eleanor Stallard Dailey. 



San Francisco, Cal. 

Your letter asking me for reminiscences of Mrs. Stoddard and the 
" Old College " came to-day. It is good of you to get up such a volume 
as you propose, in honor of Mrs. Stoddard, and every student of long ago 
will be your debtor. 

I never was in any of Mrs. Stoddard's classes, and never met her 
except in the most infrequent and casual way. Therefore I cannot, from 
personal experience, add anything to the flood of testimonials to her worth 
and influence which will, no doubt, pour in upon you from her former 
pupils. They are the persons to speak for her, and that they will do it, 
no one who knows her standing with them as I know it can doubt. 

But of the Old College itself, your letter calls up reminiscences and 
memory-painted pictures, just such as you would expect from an old 
fellow when reminded of his school-days almost forty years past. Such 
suggestions to an elderly man bring trooping with them recollections of 
his youth, his hopes, his loves. Let us trust he cannot, through the mist of 
forty years, see any hardship, or jealousy, or ill-will, or anything else that 
tends to mar the picture memory calls up before him. The beauty and 
softness are all there — but the harsh angularities are painted out by the 
brush of time. There is, on the canvas before me, youth and beauty, hope 
and love, surrounded by such a halo and haze as the setting sun spreads 
over nature's canvas. You have read the essays of that great American, 
George William Curtis, who, calling himself the " Easy Chair," discourses 
of life as it unrolls itself in the reveries of one who has seen much, thought 
much, and, as the day declines, calls up the morning of his youth. How 
we sympathize with him when he reminds us that in these degenerate 
days, no one can sing as did the sweet songsters of our youth, none so 
brave, so generous and manly as the friends of our youth, no love so 
sweet, and no girls so charming as those who blessed our youth. 







GROUP NINETEEN. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 185 

And as I sit here in my dull office, this dull, foggy evening, I forget 
the present, and that life is hard and toil constant, but am flooded with the 
sunshine of happy memories. Around me again are the brave boys and 
lovely girls, the noble teachers, and a host of friends of long ago. 

Oh! there never were such fine teachers as ours; there never were such 
boys and girls. No, never! 

It was in the winter of 1855-56 that my memories of the Old College 
begin. A poor lad, with hands coarse from toil, with patched trousers, 
without overcoat or mittens, shy, awkward, proud, found welcome, 
warmth, a friend as well as teacher, companionship and sympathy. 

Mr. Scarff presided in a brick building, west of Garden Square, on the 
street or road leading out of town towards Des Moines. 

Louise Bookenoogan — God bless her! — was there. So was Sylvia 
Sperry, witty and bright, and Andrew Sperry, the Bousquet boys, the 
Morgan boys, Jesse Curtis, Sylvester Howell, and that glorious creature, 
Gertrude Robinson. Jane and Barbara Jenkins lived in Pella at that 
time, but I do not recollect them in connection with the schbol until 
subsequently. Becky and Tillie Towne, the sweetest-tempered of girls, 
I do not recollect till later, but think they were there. 

There were others there too who deserve mention, but why should I 
make out a catalogue of fine boys and pretty girls! 

Before the frightfully cold winter of 1856-57 came on, a couple of rooms 
in the present college building were completed. In the summer, too, of 
1857, a little tow-headed young man made his appearance in Pella, who, 
despite his white head and small size, quickly became the life and soul of 
the College. He had more vigor, more teaching capacity, more influence 
over young minds, than any man I have ever met. He was an inspiration. 
He was an ideal. May all the blessings of our Father above rest upon him. 
I owe more to him than to any other man, and I am glad of this oppor- 
tunity of acknowledging my debt. He stimulated, he infused ambition. 
He loaned me books, and from his pitiful salary, loaned me money. Again 
I say, may the blessings of Heaven rest upon him. He deserves them. 
His position and honors have been well earned. 

It is not necessary to mention his name. Every student of the old 
time knows him, and I doubt not, applauds my expressions.* 

But, returning to the fearful winter of 1856-57 and the completed rooms 
in the college building. We had lots of fun that winter. The boy, thinly 
clad as ever, spent a few happy weeks. I think Dr. ScarfT, handsome, 
reticent, beloved, did not teach much that winter. I suppose the students 
of later years can hardly realize the erect, handsome, black-haired young 
man we old ones knew as Dr. Scarff. 

Of the students, there were present practically the same as we had 

* Professor Currier. 



1 86 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

the winter before. Andrew Sperry did not, I believe, attend while I was 
there. This winter, I first remember Minerva Prentis and her brightness 
of wit. Mattie Fulton, too, just too pretty and sweet for anything. Like 
the preceding winter, a few weeks was all the boy could get at school. 
But the next winter, the lad got there in November, when he found quite 
a change. A Mr. Hornish, of Keokuk, had subscribed $10,000 to the 
College. What an immense sum ! It seemed larger to us unsophisticated 
Westerners than a million given nowadays. How high the hopes aroused 
by this gift! Our people really thought it would found a college. Finan- 
cial stress overtook Mr. Hornish, and he was unable, with his $10,000, 
to found a great University. He however paid the interest for a time. 
On account of this subscription, Dr. Gunn was transferred from the 
pastorate of the Keokuk Church to the Presidency of our College. 

He too was then young, eloquent, and most devout. He and Pro- 
fessor Currier made a good team. 

To the students there were very considerable accessions. Among 
others, Job and Hattie Eastman, Casset, Arnold, Roe, Alonzo Keables, 
and the Ritners, Ike, Eliza, Susan, Lucetta, and a host of little Ritners. 
You didn't know Lucetta Ritner. How well I remember her round, pretty 
face and laughing eyes! Death withered that lovely flower before the year 
was out. You did know Becky Kelsey, no doubt. But, wasn't she a 
beauty? During the year, we had Stuart, the Whitneys, and others. 
About the first of December, among other accessions, we all recognized a 
decided addition in the coming of Andrew and Mary Craven. I can see 
them yet as they came walking up to the College building, one snowy 
Monday morning, with Isaac and Eliza Ritner. Within a week, I had 
surrendered to the young lady, and have been led in chains ever since. 
I don't believe that, in these degenerate days, youngsters fall in love as they 
did in my time. 

Didn't we youngsters take headers in those days! Over head and ears 
did you say? That doesn't express it. We plunged head first into an 
ocean ! 

Don't talk to me, young folks. You don't know anything about it. 
If you had lived in the Wild West forty years ago, then you would have 
an idea of what it is to fall in love. If you had lived in those days, young 
man, and your sweetheart's dress had brushed against you as she passed, 
you would have felt a thrill from the crown of your head to the end of your 
big toe. But in this age, you are fe/a.y/ before your time. 

You have never felt the rush and the tempest of the blood that comes 
to vigorous, healthy young manhood as they did in those days of old. 
But it is time for the old man to brush aside the picture his memory recalls 
and go home. If I should go on at this rate, it would take half of your 
book to tell of this year alone. There are lots of incidents. To me, it 



AND US ASSOCIATIONS 187 

was the most interesting of all my school experience. Then came 1858-59. 
But as my stay that year was only three or four weeks, I remember but 
little about it. It was in 1859-60 that a lot of us were expelled or sus- 
pended for going to a forbidden party. Then in 1861 came the Rebellion 
and the appeal to arms. Is it to be imagined that such sturdy young 
manhood as was gathered there at our little College in 1861 would fail to 
respond, heart and soul, to their country's call? Then young blood did 
thrill and tingle at the disgrace to our flag. I don't suppose that up to that 
time we thought much about our country or its flag, but when Sumter 
fell, the country gave a great gasp of amazement and shock. Then we 
pulled ourselves together, as it were, and made a mighty resolve, which 
was kept faithfully. How earnestly the young manhood and womanhood 
of our little college mother helped the keeping of that resolve is too long a 
tale to tell. So I brush away the picture from before me and return to the 
duties of the hour. Sincerely yours, 

Warren Olney. 

Walla Walla, Wash. 

You ask for reminiscences of school and army days. I am many 
hundred miles from the journals kept in those times, and without their aid, 
details will be impossible. 

Of Mrs. Stoddard, I have the most sincere feeling of good will and 
respect. This sentiment has been strengthened by the oft-repeated testi- 
mony of my wife, who was a pupil and neighbor of Mrs. Stoddard's for 
several years. She never tired of recounting the good qualities of her 
old teacher to her daughters and others. She was held up as a model 
woman, teacher, and mother. Among her virtues were a dignified bear- 
ing, unruffled temper, a faithful discharge of known duties, and loyalty 
to her convictions of right. 

She was mother as well as instructor to the young ladies, and carefully 
noted their deportment, language, dress, and " manners," always advis- 
ing wisely. The knowledge we possessed of her labors in a foreign 
mission field, with her good husband, intensified our regard for her. 

Professor Currier was much better known to me than Mrs. Stoddard. 
It was he, with President Gunn, who welcomed me when I entered the 
ranks of " Old Central University " when a green boy from the back- 
woods. He cleared away difficulties that arose before the student when 
struggling with poverty, mental sluggishness, diffidence, and discourage- 
ments. He even shared his purse and bed with those needing help. He 
was a wise and willing counsellor, ever watchful against evil tendencies, 
always manifesting a lively interest in the physical, mental, and moral 
development of the students, and was severely loyal to the trust he accepted 
from parents in the care and training of their children. His authority was 



1 88 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

exercised with that mildness that disarmed resentment and a firmness that 
inspired respect and a yielding obedience. 

At the same time, the students failed not to have fun at his expense. 
A nearly proverbial expression among them was that " he required two 
suits of clothes to enable him to make a shadow." He was, however, 
suspected of having a heart of flesh and susceptible to wounds from 
Cupid's arrows. 

I venture to say that all of us would, with more than ordinary pleasure, 
grasp his hand and look into his face, renewing the acquaintance of one 
who was a friend, guide, and benefactor, that too when it cost many sacri- 
fices on his part. 

Dr. E. H. Scarfif, as teacher and preacher, was a familiar figure entering 
and leaving the College building, sitting on the platform at chapel exer- 
cises and in the pulpit. I knew him best as the preacher and spiritual 
leader of the time, never having recited to him in school. His earnest, 
logical, and loving presentations of the Gospel truths are all before me as 
a distinctly outlined picture. He was loved and honored by all who knew 
best the inner life of the man. He was " on crutches " the last year of 
his labors at Pella. 

I can only wish all three of these friends long and happy lives, and, as 
we in the army marched and sang of John Brown, " may their souls," the 
widening stream of influence set in motion by them, " go marching on." 
In the latter part of May, 1861, eighteen students marched from the Col- 
lege campus to defend their country's honor and to help put down the 
Rebellion. Of these, Warren Olney and Sylvester Howell were nearer to 
me than any others, although twelve of us " messed," slept in one tent, held 
family prayers, for many months. " Ves " and I bunked together, and on 
the march shared our blankets. But one cold night in the winter of 1861 
and 1862, on the North Missouri River, while on a forced march, the 
ground covered with snow and ice and a cold wind blowing, we agreed 
to pool blankets with Warren. When our bed was made, the place next 
to the fire was at a premium, so we located ourselves by " drawing straws." 
We talked, read, and sang much together. The voices of Howell and 
Olney averaged charmingly. Howell sang a fine bass and Olney carried 
the air. Emery Sperry and Olney became adepts at foraging, the writer 
was a fair cook, and Howell smiled softly and helped empty the " mess " 
kettle. Camped in the mud and rain at Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., on 
April 6, 1862, " we four " made ready to go to the 8th Iowa camp to hear 
the preaching, and to see Professor Currier, " Dave " and " Bob " Ryan, 
members of that regiment. But the " long roll " and the " sound of 
battle " gave us other work for the whole day, the Confederate generals 
paying no heed to our desire to attend church. While at the " Hornet's 
Nest," Sperry lost a leg, and during the day, two others were wounded. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 189 

It is known that the 8th Iowa boys made good soldiers and received 
merited promotion, and the attenuated " Curri-er," and the " big all over " 
Ryan brothers had their share. Mrs. Stuart was with me in the army 
nearly one year, showing courage when the " picket lines " were attacked, 
preparing for flight or fight. She was efficient in caring for the sick, in- 
structing soldiers in the studies which some of them were pursuing, and in 
making camp-life more pleasant for those about her. She was always 
loyal to her Alma Mater, her country, and her God. 

Very truly yours, 

W. A. Stuart. 

Washington, D. C. 

The Iowa Central University! what a flood of memories that name 
recalls ! Your father and my father were certainly entitled to rank among 
its founders, and I suppose I was one of the first crop of students — or 
nearly the first, at any rate — having begun to attend when it occupied one 
room in a brick building at the west end of Pella. Among the»students 
at that time I remember Herman Bousquet, Jonas Earle, Belle Miller, 
Louisa Bookenoogan, Gertrude Robinson, and Rebecca and Tillie Towne. 
There were others also, perhaps fifty or sixty of them, but just now, after 
the lapse of some thirty-three or four years, I cannot recall their names. 

At that time Professor Scarfif was the entire " faculty " of the Uni- 
versity, and I was the entire Latin class. 

Oh! how the winter winds did blow, and the winter snows did fly, and 
how beautiful were the springs and summers and the girls, in those bright, 
youthful days. 

Afterward came greater things. Professor Cory was added to the 
faculty, and took charge of an upper room in the same building. The 
next step in the march of improvements was when the College building 
was partially completed, so that school occupied a part of it. Then — if 
my recollection is right — came other students: your brother Sylvester, 
E. R. Cassett, Jesse Curtis, Hampson, Arnold, the Misses Ritner, Fannie 
Barker, and many others. 

Somewhere about this time too. Professor A. N. Currier was added 
to the force. Under this regime, however, poverty did not permit me long 
to stay. Going to school a few months, then teaching elsewhere a few 
months, and going to other parts of the State occasionally, left me with 
a somewhat churned-up recollection of these days; but if I could just catch 
one of the old students of that time and fasten him down here by me now, 
how I would question him, and ask him what he remembered, and over- 
whelm him with memories of little incidents long years ago forgotten! 

Well, by and by came the war, and it pretty nearly wrecked the 
University for a while. I have been told that, in one of the rooms of the 



igo A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

University now is a marble tablet, inscribed with the names of the young 
heroes who went from it at the call of their country and never returned. 
Honor and love to their memory — and love and honor more and more 
as the years go by forever! 

The last time I was in the University building was far from being a sad 
occasion for me. It was just one month from the day when I returned 
from the war, and I had attended church in the chapel with the lady who 
had, that morning, become my wife. Dr. Scarf¥ preached, and I noticed 
that he did not tremble then half as much as he did some two hours before, 
when he married us. 

With best wishes for the success of your book, and kindest regards, 

Sincerely, 

A. F. Sperry. 

Knoxville, Iowa. 

When I hear old students tell of Mrs. Stoddard's excellence as a teacher 
in Central University, I wish that I might have sat under her instruction. 
When I was a student she was not a member of the faculty, but her in- 
fluence and individuality still pervaded the entire school. She, by those 
little attentions which make one feel at home, was a mother to every new 
and bashful student. 

It is with much pleasure I recall her invitation to a Thanksgiving 
dinner my first year in school. I was her guest, not because I was her 
special friend, but because her big-heartedness and her love for the boys 
and girls who strove to improve themselves prompted her to show us 
these kindnesses. I am only one of many who were the recipients of her 
gracious favor. Hundreds call her blessed and will cherish her memory 
as sacred. She was never too busy nor too tired to advise with a student 
as to his best course to pursue. 

Her interest in the Institution has never seemed to wane; not even 
when the black clouds of adversity gathered over " Central " and threat- 
ened her destruction. The clouds were dispelled; the sky is now clearer, 
and Mrs. Stoddard still loves and labors for the University, which is doing 
a grand and noble work. 

Mandelia Harsin. 

Atlantic, Iowa. 
In the spring of 1857 I had my first introduction to the classical city 
of Pella, with its odd, low houses standing in stiff, straight rows, the white 
walls adorned by white-headed children playing about them. The 
thatched roofs were a great curiosity, the wooden shoes another; the 
dialect spoken finished up the novelty of this city of " Refuge." To a 
child of fifteen years, what more dreadful than not to understand what 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 191 

people were talking about. I soon found that they were all eager to learn 
English, and almost all could talk more or less. We lived on a farm 
seven miles north of Pella, and I was content and happy with all but the 
schools of our new home. One summer day when I was about sixteen 
years old I happened to be left in charge of the home; myself and a large 
mastiff were amusing ourselves on the doorstep, when a soft-voiced, pleas- 
ant-spoken man came in at the gate. It was Prof. A. N. Currier. He was 
hot and dusty and looked tired; I hastened to bring him a chair, and he 
asked me for a glass of milk. I was pleased with his face and invited him 
in to partake of a bowl of bread and milk. While eating it he talked with 
me of the school and invited me to come to Pella to college the ensuing 
winter. It was just what I wanted, and I decided to ask father about it 
very soon. In order that I should not forget, the next week a carriage 
drove up to the door and a lady with two lovely girls called to me a 
pleasant greeting, and asked me if I would give the children a glass of milk, 
telling me that she was Mrs. Stoddard, principal of the Ladies' Depart- 
ment of the College at Pella, and she would be delighted to have me as 
a pupil. I fell in love with dear Mrs. Stoddard then and there. T! wish I 
could describe her as she was then; she had one of the sweetest, noblest 
faces, not only fair to look upon but so full of intellect. The soft, creamy, 
India silk dress which she wore then, in memory, is the one dress she 
always wore. To me it seems a part of her. In no other was she so 
attractive, and in those days Mrs. Stoddard was a very beautiful woman 
(and she is now, to all her girls). So many sons and daughters have 
carried out from the College walls a memory of her words and influence 
that give her a mother's place, and has helped to shape their lives through 
all the long years since they have seen her face or trod the paths of the old 
school Campus. She was a mother as well as teacher to each one of her 
girls, as I soon found, when in 1859 I went to her house to board and 
attended school at Central. Her own children were small, but they 
studied methodically, and they were well trained, and knew when study 
hour came as well as any of us. My room-mate, Emma Neal, and I used 
often to wonder what she would do if they were such teazes as many little 
ones; we never found that out, however; all the mischief brewed was re- 
served for older heads and hands, and with them Mrs. Stoddard was reason- 
ably patient. I look back now and recall the girls and boys of that time and 
the way she managed and controlled those turbulent spirits, getting the 
best from raw material, and through all holding their love and respect, 
even when reproving them. I recall so vividly in one of her Friday 
afternoon talks about Commencement time, she urged us all to wear 
calico dresses for the examinations. Very many did so in sympathy with 
her idea that many bright children were kept from school for lack of means 
to dress expensively, and their foolish pride would not let them wear 



192 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

plain clothes while others with whom they came in contact dressed richly. 
Her influence was exerted so strongly in this direction that in my time a 
good calico dress was elaborate enough for the Friday afternoon exer- 
cises, and that was the " state " occasion of the week. Then Mrs. Stod- 
dard with her knitting always sat up in the front, and the flash of her 
needles suggested to any of us who had forgotten it that we were ex- 
pected to have our fingers busy while we were being entertained. This 
freak of industry did not please some of the boys, and on one occasion, 
at the close of a long essay on " Industry " in general, one of them con- 
cluded with these memorable words, " Now, boys, out with your knitting 
and show the girls how industrious you can be," whereupon there was a 
great commotion on the boys' side of the room, and to Mrs. Stoddard's 
amazement, some of her best boys took out their balls of yarn and 
knitting needles. For a few moments the industry of the room was 
surprising. Then Dr. Gunn arose, and, with one of his broad smiles, 
remarked in a rather shaky voice, " The young gentlemen can be excused 
from further labor for this day, and the young ladies also may put away 
their work and give their attention to the literary exercises." 

The winter of 1860-61 was a memorable one in the school; the Chapel 
was crowded with pupils. Prof. Currier, Dr. Gunn, and Mrs. Stoddard 
were the leading spirits, and the ranks of boys and girls in the old halls 
were well worth seeing, but the call " to arms " was to them as the 
gathering of the clans. Old Central sent out all her able-bodied young 
men with one of her professors to lead them, and we girls were left dis- 
consolate. Many of the girls left the school, never to return, and of the 
boys very many of them fill unknown graves on Southern soil. While the 
boys were facing fearful odds in the South, the girls tried to keep up 
one another's spirits as best they could, and in spite of Mrs. Stoddard there 
was mischief in the air. I often think that the war coming on and taking 
the boys into the field direct from their studies had much to do with 
the many school " matches " in those days, as many of the boys came 
home to marry their " best girls " in the near future. Others came not at 
all. On the marble slab in the College Chapel are many names that stood 
high on the roll of honor in the school-days. Mrs. Stoddard mourns for 
her boys with true mother love, and we all stand sorrowfully before that 
list of noble names on the marble slab. 

" On Fame's eternal camping-ground 
Their silent tents are spread, 
And ang-els keep with solemn round 
The bivouac of the dead." 

Mary Fisher Curtis. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 193 

Miller, S. D. 
I have wandered away from my father's house where there is plenty 
and to spare, and have been feeding upon the husks of the Great American 
Desert for over a decade, but I am still proud of my native State and still 
prouder of my Alma Mater and her galaxy of noble workers and servants, 
among them that splendid mother in Israel, Mrs. Ira Joy Stoddard. Make 
such use of this picture, for her dear sake, as you see best. 
I have the pleasure and honor to be. 

Very truly yours, 

J. H. Cole. 

13 



194 ^ BEAUTIFUL LIFE 



CHAPTER XVI 

CENTRAL COLLEGE — FORTY-SIXTH YEAR 

(Incorporated as " Central University of Iowa; " Pella, Marion County, 
Iowa.) 

CALENDAR FOR 1898-1899 

Fall Term, fourteen weeks, begins September 14th, ends 
December 23d. 

Winter Term, twelve weeks, begins January 3, 1899, ends 
March 31st. 

Spring Term, eleven weeks, begins April 2d, ends June i8th. 

Commencement, June iSth to 22d. 

LOCATION 

Pella is located on the Des Moines Valley Division of the 
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, about fifty miles 
southeast of Des Moines, Iowa. By consulting connections 
with the Iowa Central and Burlington and Northwestern Rail- 
roads at Oskaloosa, Iowa; the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, 
and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroads at Ottumwa, 
Iowa, students from North, East, and South will find easy 
access to the place. The Wabash Railroad is four miles dis- 
tant (station named Howell), and by daily stage from Dur- 
ham, Iowa, connections are made for the Southwest by the 
Burlington Railway. 

Iowa Central University is located in a quiet city of some 
three thousand inhabitants, in one of the most beautiful and 
productive sections of the State. There are good churches 
and social privileges, students being cordially welcomed to the 
homes of the people. The inhabitants value highly the Col- 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 195 

lege, and have generously supported it with gifts and patronage. 
Those who prefer a quiet place for their children appreciate 
the high moral and religious life of the community. Without 
question the citizens will liberally support a general effort to 
increase the endowment and efficiency of the School. 

FACULTY (1898-1899) 

Arthur Billings Chaffee, President and Professor of Mental 
and Social Philosophy. (A.B., Princeton University, 1876; 
A.M., Princeton University, 1879 5 Rochester Theological 
Seminary, 1 876-1 879; Professor of Latin Language and Liter- 
ature, Franklin College, Indiana, 1879-1888; Professor of 
Chemistry and Physics, Franklin College, 1 888-1 889 ;*pastor 
at Seymour and South Bend, Indiana, 1889-1896; Franklin 
College, 1894; student in Sociology, University of Chicago, 
1895; President Central University of Iowa, 1896.) 

Emanuel Hengstenberg Scarff, Emeritus Professor of 
Mathematics. (A.B., Denison University, 1847; A.M., ib., 
1850; D.D., ib., 1875; graduate Colgate University, theolog- 
ical course, 1850; President Judson College, 1850-1852; pastor 
at West Jefferson, Ohio; Delphi, Indiana, and Pella, Iowa; 
Professor of Mathematics, Central University, 1 854-1 878; 
Emeritus, 1878.) 

Kate Frances Keables, Professor of Latin Language and 
Literature. (A.B., Central University, 1878; student in 
Chicago School of Music, 1881 ; Professor of Music, Central 
University, 1 882-1 884; Professor of Latin, Central University, 
1884; graduate student. University of Chicago, 1897.) 

William Williamson Cook, Professor of Mathematics and 
Astronomy. (A.B., Central University, 1884; A.M., ib., 
1887; Professor of Mathematics, Central University, 1890.) 

Asa Bee Bush, Professor of Greek Language and Litera- 
ture. (A.B., University of West Virginia, 1885; A.M., ib., 
1888; Instructor of Ancient Languages, University of West 
Virginia, 1884-1886; Principal Shepherd College, State Nor- 



196 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

mal School, 1886-1892; Professor of Mathematics, Southwest 
Baptist College, 1892-1894; President Walton College, 1894- 
1895; President Southwest Baptist College, 1895-1897; Ph.D., 
Southwest Baptist College, 1898.) 

Martha Firth, Professor of History and English. (Ph.B., 
Central University, 1893; graduate student. University of Chi- 
cago, 1897; Professor of History and English, 1894,) 

Jennie Kuyper, Instructor in Latin. (Ph.B., Central Uni- 
versity, 1893.) 

Charles Lebbeus Custer, Instructor of Biblical History 
and Registrar. (A.B., Central University, 1898; student at 
William Jewell, 1 880-1 881 ; Instructor in Des Moines College, 
1882-1883.) 

Charles Webber Aikens, Physical Director and Instructor. 
(Ph.B., Central University, 1895; graduate student, Michigan 
University, 1896 ; Physical Director, Central University, 

1897.) 

William Albert Young, Instructor in French and German 
Languages. (A.B., Central University, 1898; student, Uni- 
versity of Chicago, 1897; graduate student. University of 
Chicago, 1898.) 

Wilford O. Clure, Instructor in Elocution. 

A. P. Kuyper, Instructor in Music. 

Mrs. Henry P. Scholte, Instructor in Painting and Draw- 
ing. 

John B. Hamilton, Instructor in Shorthand and Type- 
writing. 

EQUIPMENT 

The Campus is an elevated plateau of eight acres, surrounded 
by broad streets, and finely ornamented with large trees. A 
large open space in the east part of the Campus affords room 
for field sports. 

The main building is of brick, three stories above the base- 
ment. It is adapted to the general work of class-room in- 
struction. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 197 

Cotton Hall is for young ladies. The rooms, neatly furnished 
and well ventilated, provide accommodations for thirty people. 
The dining-hall will seat seventy-five. 

The new building is in process of erection. It is an impos- 
ing brick structure of three stories, and will contain gymna- 
sium, chapel, library, bath and recitation rooms. 

The library of about four thousand volumes is growing with 
the advance of the institution. New books and current peri- 
odicals keep the students abreast of the times. The reading- 
room is liberally provided with daily and weekly newspapers, 
magazines, and periodicals. 

The laboratories contain, as adjuncts to the work of instruc- 
tion, astronomical, physical, chemical, and biological apparatus, 
maps, globes, charts, etc. 

The cabinet, while not large, contains several hundred spe- 
cimens of minerals and natural products; and is a growing 
addition to the work in geology and mineralogy. 

DEPARTMENTS 

1. Central College offers a four years' course leading to the 
degrees of A.B., Ph.B., B.S., Th.B. 

The work done in the College has an honorable recognition 
by the University of Chicago, Rochester Theological Semi- 
nary, and elsewhere. The especial attention of pastors is called 
to the Th.B. course, as offering a good training for those un- 
able to spend a longer time in preparation. 

2. Central Academy, offering courses of four years each in 
preparatory studies for Central College. 

In the four years everything needful is offered for entrance 
to any college in Iowa. 

3. Teachers' Course, providing studies especially adapted 
to teachers and general students; arranged and designed 
to prepare teachers thoroughly for their duties. The stu- 
dents of this course enjoy all the benefits of complete 
class-room training. Emphasis is laid upon the need of the 



igS A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

right qualification of heart as well as the head for the teachers' 
course. 

4. Commercial Course, giving instruction in practical busi- 
ness law and methods; with advantages of stenography and 
typewriting. This course is not an experiment ; and with each 
year is growing in favor. The studies in this course are: 
book-keeping, business writing and spelling, arithmetic, gram- 
mar, business law, actual business, political economy, stenog- 
raphy, and typewriting. Opportunity is given to study the 
modern languages and other advanced studies. 

5. Music Course, a systematic course of three years' train- 
ing, under competent instructors. 

6. Art Course, furnishing abundant opportunity for accom- 
plishment in water-color, oil-painting, sketching, china, fabric 
work, etc. 

7. Oratory and Physical Culture. The latest results of spe- 
cialists in this line of work are employed. 

ORGANIZATIONS 

LITERARY SOCIETIES 

The Philomathian (for young gentlemen), the Alethian (for 
young ladies), and the Advance (for both sexes) societies meet 
weekly and carry out programmes of literary work. All their 
exercises are under the direct supervision and criticism of the 
faculty. Every student is required to do literary work, either 
as a member of one of the societies or before the faculty. 

CHRISTIAN SOCIETIES 

These organizations hold regular meetings and exercise a 
healthful influence over the spiritual interests of the students. 
The associations conduct Bible classes, covering six years, of 
one hour per week, excepting the sixth year. 

The associations maintain a course of first-class lectures and 
entertainments ; and the best talent has appeared in Pella. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 199 



ORATORICAL ASSOCIATIONS 



The College Oratorical Contest Association, connected with 
the State Oratorical Association, has a preliminary contest 
during the fall term of each year. The successful contestant 
represents the university in the intercollegiate contest. The 
work is an original oration of acknowledged merit ; and the 
contestants must have a satisfactory rating in their literary 
work. 

The Academic Oratorical Contest Association, held every 
term, is confined to academic students ; and the work is dec- 
lamation. The contestants must be good students in regular 
classes. Three prizes are given at each contest. 

EXPENSES (PER TERM) 

Collegiate Department $8.00 

Academic 7.00 

Incidental Fee 4.00 

Library Fee 50 

Music 12.00 

Rent of Piano, per term (one hour daily) i.oo 

Ministerial and missionary students approved by their 
churches pay two dollars tuition and four dollars and a half, 
including library fees. 

Ministers' wives and children pay two dollars less for tui- 
tion and four dollars and a half, including library fees. 

ROOMS AND BOARD 

Rooms in Cotton Boarding Hall are thirty to forty cents per 
week for each student. The board in the Hall per week is one 
dollar and seventy-five cents. 

The rooms in Cotton Hall are furnished with all necessary 
articles except bed clothing and towels. 

The rates in private homes do not vary much from those 
given. 



zoo A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Minimum and maximum estimate of necessary expenses for a year 
of thirty-six weeks. 

College Bills from $33-50 to $40.00 

Board and Room from 86.00 to 100.00 

Washing from 9.00 to 15.00 

Books from 5.00 to 15.00 

Total from $134.00 to $170.00 

Many students, by strict economy, bring their expenses 
below one hundred dollars for the year. 



CENTRAL'S STATUS 

Rank. — Listed among the first-class colleges of Iowa. 

DEPARTMENTS 

Preparatory Three Years. 

College Four Years. 

Theological Two Years. 

Normal Three and Five Years. 

Music Three Years. 

Business Two Years. 

Oratory and Physical Culture Two Years. 

Art By the Term. 

FINANCES 
Assets. 

Main Campus $15,000 

Recitation Building 10,000 

Cotton Hall 8,000 

New Y. M. C. A. Building 15,000— $48,000 

Endowment (interest bearing) 23,000 

Endowment (non-productive) 3,000 — 26,000 

Library and Apparatus 5)000 

Notes of doubtful value , 10,000 

$89,000 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 



Liabilities. 



Orders for Salaries (about) $6,000 

Current Expenses 4,000 



ATTENDANCE DURING 1897-1898 
Two hundred ; about one-third women. 

NEEDS 

Biological Apparatus. •• .from $50.00 to $1,000 (endowment) 

Chemistry from 50.00 to 1,000 (endowment) 

Physics • ■ from 100.00 to 2,000 (endowment) 

Library • -from 100.00 to 5,000 (endowment) 

Advertising Fund 50 

To complete new building i,Soo % 

The pressing need is an adequate endowment of $100,000. 
There is an absolute demand for $25,000 at once. 

LETTER TO "CENTRAL'S" ALUMNI.* 

In the nature of things anything in the way of autobiography must lack 
in the modest qualities that are so charming, as they call the writer into 
a prominence from which there is no shelter. I would much prefer being 
served by a fond and partial friend, who would be "to my virtues ever 
kind, and my faults a little blind." 

But to prove my obedience and desire to be still a mild and tractable 
member of the " Central " sisterhood, I will, as best I can, give a report 
of myself in these latter days, and an account of the " ups and downs " of 
my college life. 

I entered Central University in September, 1862. I was fifteen years 
of age, but knew absolutely nothing of systematic work. Hampered by 
frail health, I had never been able to complete a term's work. I regularly 
entered and as regularly fell by the way. Some of you remember the 
wisp of a girl who looked so good-for-nothing and was more good-for- 
nothing than she looked. 

As we fall into the sere and yellow leaf, our friends are prone, when we 

* Printed here by request. Written in 1897 by " order " of the Alumni Committee, 
which is requesting, each year, autobiographical sketches of old students of the college. 



202 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

mention telling dates, to miscalculate our years on earth and burden us 
with more than we can endure. To save trouble in counting up, I will 
give a clear record. I was born in the year 1847, in the seventh month 
and on the seventh day of the month. I was graduated June 26, 1867, 
and was married on December 26th of th-e same year to James S. Clark- 
son, of Des Moines, Iowa. 

The college classes were sparsely settled when I began my college 
work. There were only two or three young men in School and very few 
young women. All who were old enough were working at home. The 
war was in its second year, and the literary ranks were depleted to swell 
the number in the field. 

Before I had been in college a month, every man who had gone to 
war from Central University seemed like a brother to me. They were 
all strangers, but our cause was one, and I gave them my heart's 
affection. 

At this time Dr. Scarff was Acting President of the College, and Mrs. 
Stoddard was the Principal of the Girls' Department. Professor Currier 
was away " soldiering." The Preparatory Department was in the majority; 
the upper classes were very small. 

If I were asked my chief delight in school I would say, unhesitatingly, 
the music. The studies in the regular course were difficult and trying, 
and I hailed with joy the relaxation which the music gave. 

Professor Cory, with his delightful personality, was one of my earliest 
friends. He and my brother Sylvester were inseparable. They, between 
them, undertook to teach me to sing scientifically and to read notes. 
When I had made a little progress, Mrs. Cory came in to form a quartette. 
We used the old " Cythara " which was out of date before I was born. The 
first selection we practised was the anthem " I Was Glad." It opened 
with strident measure. With my young soprano voice I launched out on 
the first line, " I was glad; " Mrs. Cory, in rich contralto, came to my aid, 
and in full round tones sang "I was glad;" Professor Cory, in joyous 
strain, sailed away on a high key and proclaimed that he was glad; my 
brother, not to be outdone, in deep-sounding bass in the middle of his 
chest, added his line, " I was glad." Then we all, perfectly satisfied with 
our solo performances, sang together: " I was glad when they said unto 
me; " and so on to the close. 

Can I ever forget the happiness I found in the cantata " Queen 
Esther"? Miss Cleveland was the queen; Professor Cotton, " Ahasuerus, 
the King;" David Ryan impersonated Haman; and Professor Cory, 
" Mordecai, the Jew, who sat at the King's gates." It was some trouble 
for the erstwhile bland and handsome David to look his part, but he 
gradually assumed a murderous and piratical appearance that would have 
done credit to a Robin Hood. 






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GROUP TWENTY-ONE. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 203 

Professor Cotton took our troupe of warblers to Knoxville, Monroe, 
and Red Rock. We had designs on Oskaloosa and Newton, but the 
storm-gates opened and the flood came and we were soon a washed-out, 
worn-out, and drowned-out company of minstrels. 

If my little Franklin stove, around which gathered so many girls dur- 
ing the school year, could speak, it would tell you who were my close and 
confidential friends. On its cheery little fender the dearest and best girls 
in the world have toasted their toes. Let me call my Uttle roll. There 
were Mattie Payton and Sarah Sumner (what a help they were to me in 
mathematics!), Aristene Wells, Eliza Tupper, Annis and Emma Rudd, 
Fannie Barker, the four Towne girls, Louise Bookenoogan, Mattie 
Morgan, Maggie Keane, and merry Molly Sweeney. My paper is not 
long enough to name all the girls of whom I was fond, and who " came 
and went " in our home. Every student was made welcome by my father 
and mother (as in my father's home to-day). 

The friend, par excellence, of my college days was Mrs. Stoddard. 
I honestly thought I was the one individual constantly in her mind, that 
she was absorbed in my interest alone, that my affairs and confidences 
must have kept her from sleeping. I had no idea that she cared for any 
one else particularly, and I almost pitied the other girls who were not so 
close in her afTections. Now, brothers and sisters, I have learned by 
observation that this friend of our younger days was a monumental de- 
ceiver and double-dealer. Now I know that each and every one of you 
thought, as did I, that you were the best-beloved of the heart and the apple 
of the eye of this queen of diplomacy. Her infinite tact made lords and 
ladies of us all. There is a woman, my dears, who could have out- 
generalled Napoleon, who has more tact than had Recamier, a brain to be 
compared with Madame de Stael's, the piety and sweetness of Emily 
Judson, the courage of a pioneer mother, and a heart of molten gold that 
ran into every channel after her boys and girls. 

Congratulate yourselves that " Drusilla Allen " came into this world 
for your benefit and mine, and that for so many years her loving care and 
guardianship have been vouchsafed the youth of our community. 

A pleasant episode was the first tree-planting on the Campus. Dr. 
Scarfif, the Ryan boys, Joel Deweese, and others procured the trees at 
Deacon Smith's. I was the only girl, as I remember, who planted her 
own tree. Most diligently I dug the hole, and, while some one steadied 
the tree, spread the roots, watered the tree thoroughly, and begged it to 
grow. And grow it did. It stands now, a big, fine sentinel, the second 
from the North Gate on the east side of the broad front walk.* 

* The planting took place in the spring of 1866. Coming through Lincoln, Nebraska, 
the 26th of last month, I visited for an hour with Mr. Joel Deweese and Mr. Thomas 
Ryan and the latter's family. We talked over the planting and verified the above date. 



204 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

The boys had the best of it in my college days. They had nothing 
to do but study and exercise. They would not even write essays or com- 
mit new orations, but would recite over and over again " Ye call me 
chief; " " I come not here to talk; " " The boy stood on the burning 
deck; " etc., etc. I fume now when I think how they slipped through, 
while the girls were so much more heavily burdened; we were obliged to 
read original essays every fortnight. 

I enjoy my days of college work now more than I did when I was in the 
harness. I have almost forgotten the long nights of study, the uncanny 
early hours, the deep snows, the cold recitation-rooms, the breakfastless 
run for chapel, and the shiver of fear lest I should miss roll-call. Worst 
of all was the examination week. To this trial, as it existed in my days 
in Central, I am unalterably opposed. If a student's rank cannot be 
decided upon after the work of an entire term in the class-room, it can 
scarcely be determined in one or two days of public examination. This, 
in my later judgment, is a strain upon the nerves amounting to cruelty. 
The two weeks' vacation given in the spring I invariably spent in bed, 
utterly worn out with the wear and tear of examination week and the fear 
of having a poor " standing " read aloud before the entire community. 

College work was a heavy tax upon me, as I was coping with those 
much stronger than myself in physical strength and mental training. I 
think I had mind enough to do the work, perhaps; but I had not time 
enough. I tried to do too much. When I was graduated I weighed but 
ninety-six pounds; I believe I would have evaporated in another six 
months. It took years to overcome the strain of the work, study, and 
exposure to cold, and to regain strength and elasticity. I mention this 
that you may be wise in time with your own boys and girls. Watch the 
physical strength, and the mental will take care of itself. 

I cannot recall any work especially meritorious that I accomplished 
in college. When I think over the impressions made upon me by some of 
the Central girls, I know they must have been potent in influence. There 
was Mattie Payton whose beautiful, sad eyes told her heart's story, 
though her lips were always framing words of cheer for others. And 
Sarah Sumner! Was there ever such a spring of fun and joy as she pos- 
sessed? I never saw her, even when she lay on a bed of agony, that her 
face was not all a-twinkle with merriment. When she met with the acci- 
dent that nearly took her from us, and every heart quailed when helping 
to dress those fearful wounds, the plucky girl rallied us on our white lips 
and poked fun at our faint-heartedness. Was there ever a maiden sur- 
rounded by a purer atmosphere than the stately Aristene Wells? And what 
a high-minded girl was lovely Mollie Mitchell! There was Ella Keables 
— a perfect pocket edition of contentment and comfort. The Ryan sisters 
were all such fine, staunch girls. Their word was as good as their bond. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 205 

Who could fail to be stirred by the energy and enthusiasm of Eliza 
Tupper, or the strong, forceful character of Fannie Barker? There 
were hosts of girls who were good daughters at home and efficient in the 
class-room. Could there ever have been a more tender " mother-girl," or 
a brighter student, than Louise Bookenoogan? 

The college was full of strong, brave characters in the sixties. For 
those were war times, and the best was called out. It was not a little 
hard to compete with " war-students," when they came home for the last 
two years of their course. They were strong, athletic men, full of ex- 
perience, in haste to be ofif for their study of professions and active work in 
the world. I was the only girl in my class i^d"]). 

We had some good intellectual drill in the old days — in our debating 
society. I remember, with a blush, the first time I arose to take part in a 
debate. I have often wondered if the presiding officer had the slightest 
idea which side I championed. I talked " for " and " against " in the 
most delightful confusion, without the faintest idea of the " question." 
It was a proud day for me when, later on, I sat in the Presideoit's chair. 
I needed all the dignity I could command, for the " boys " and " girls " 
were merciless on initiation day. David Ryan, in magnificent and im- 
pressive tones, covering a subdued chuckle, addressed me as " Mr. 
Speaker," and referred in " Capitol " tones to his " colleagues." John 
Morgan shifted himself from one foot to another in his easy way, and, 
with both hands in his pockets, looked me straight in the face and began 
his argument with " Honored Sir, I appeal to you and the gentlemen of 
the jury," etc., etc. I was on my mettle and did not smile, but my brain 
was active anent their time of trial. 

A few memories have been awakened recently by letters from old 
classmates. Honorable John Harvey, who is now a stately judge, tells 
of the time when he and " Dave " Ryan (who also wears judicial robes) 
were boys together. He unburdens his heart by saying they " used to 
eat watermelons in the same patch; " but neglected to mention whose 
patch. This partial confession is a step in the right direction. I have no 
doubt that the citizens of their county are glad that those boys have 
grown up. Further confessions are in order. 

We enjoyed stirring times when the railroad essayed to pass through 
Pella. One survey, and unfortunately the one selected, ran through the 
College grounds. This incensed every one connected with the University. 
Out of spite, the station was established a full mile from town, beyond 
sidewalks and well on the way to Oskaloosa, but the trains ran through 
our beloved domain, cutting the girls' recreation-ground through the 
middle, passing out of our northwest corner and on by Elder Elliott's 
front gate. It was a most insulting proceeding, and we vowed to get even. 
Almost by magic barrels of soft-soap made their appearance in the night 



2o6 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

on the west side of the College. The tracks were liberally spread with this 
unctuous paste, and for many days we had the joy of seeing the engines 
puff and pant, and the wheels slip and slide, until the crew cleaned the 
rails and sanded them. We had to give up the fight finally. The rail- 
road had too much sand and we had too little soap. The screaming of 
the engines, the blowing of the whistles, and the letting off of the steam 
almost broke up the school sessions. We threatened to tear up the track, 
but never did. Peace was proclaimed finally, and the trains slipped 
through the grounds slowly and quietly. The whole thing was an outrage, 
but we had to submit, and daily expected to see some of Elder Elliott's 
children mangled before our very eyes on their way to school. 

I have done a good deal of studying since I left school. In fact, I am 
delving into some thing or other all the time. I do not make marked 
advance, but I keep alive, and know what is valuable when I see it. I 
select my friends carefully; and greatly enjoy the friendship and society of 
my elders and superiors. I find that nothing brings me such good results 
as digging for facts and writing upon them. There is no surer or speedier 
way to enrich the mind. The world is full of interest and wisdom, and 
there is no place to stop in the search for knowledge. 

There are some affectfons which grow with time. I could not appre- 
ciate the quality of work which Central University was doing, until, with 
riper years, I had wisdom enough given me to know what it must have 
cost to sustain such an enterprise, not in funds and endowments alone, 
but in the wealth of energy, patience, and sacrifice, the daily drain of heart 
and soul, and the expenditure of vital force by those who stood at the helm. 
It is with the utmost gratitude that I learn of the rising interest of the 
old students, especially among those who are at hand and in touch with 
the everyday life of the school. The University must live. It has sprung 
from seed which will neither freeze out, drown out, starve, nor die out, 
and we must see that it is strengthened and nurtured; and lose no oppor- 
tunity to foster its growth until it blossoms like a rose. We must each 
light a fagot of enthusiasm and hold it aloft until we shine like a city on 
a hill. The great Troy school — The Emma Willard Female Seminary — 
was restored to life and usefulness by its alumnae, led by Mrs. Russell 
Sage, who has shown the most splendid zeal and ability in its behalf. A 
strong alumni is a great force and can accomplish wonders when wisely 
directed and controlled. 

It is a regret to me that I cannot meet with you this year. I leave 
this imperfect sketch, which has been written over rolling car-wheels, hop- 
ing it will, in some measure, be what you desire. 

I clasp ihands with you all and renew my pledge of fealty to thee and thine. 

I am, with affection, Your college mate and friend, always, 

Anna Howell Clarkson. 








f 






GROUP TWENTY-SEVEN. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 207 



CHAPTER XVII 

MRS. EMMA WILLARD 
" Hers was a mien of majesty; born to command, her will was law." 

The Troy Female Seminary, where Mrs. Stoddard obtained 
her education, and from which she was graduated, was founded 
by Mrs. Emma Willard, a most remarkable woman. 

Mrs. Willard — born Emma Hart — was the daughter of 
Samuel and Emma Hart, of Worthington Parish, Berlir^Town- 
ship, Connecticut. She was next to the youngest of seven- 
teen children. Mr. Hart was in moderate circumstances, but 
possessed of New England thrift, which enabled him to take 
care of his large family comfortably. 

The child Emma was born February 23, 1787, and was 
wonderfully strong and vigorous, physically and intellectually. 
The parents were full of intelligence, and reare4 their children 
on such literary diet as Chaucer and Milton. 

Early in life Mrs. Willard began to develop a deep love for 
science, and moonlight nights would find her on the horse- 
block studying astronomy. Until her seventeenth year she 
attended the village school, leaving it to begin the work of 
teaching. She succeeded wonderfully at the latter, and de- 
cided to make it her life-work. In 1807 she went to West- 
field ; and later to Middlebury. At the latter place she met 
Dr. John Willard, and gave up teaching to become his wife. 

Dr. Willard was twenty-eight years her senior. Theirs was 
a marriage of complete happiness and harmony. 

In the financial crisis of 1812, Dr. Willard lost his fortune, 
and Mrs. Willard resumed her work, establishing in Middle- 
bury a school for young women. Up to this time only light 



2o8 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

sciences had been taught to girls. The curriculum she prepared 
was far in advance of anything yet offered them ; and she soon 
had under her care as many as she could manage. She met 
with opposition, of course ; but that was nothing to a woman 
of her firm resolution. Having only a meagre education (lib- 
eral for those times), she studied day and night preparing for 
her classes. She engaged Professor Amos Eaton of the Rens- 
selear Polytechnic School for Boys as her own tutor, and thus 
managed to keep ahead of those she was instructing. Mrs. 
Willard loved her work; and taught by original methods. 
In 1820 she graduated a class in geometry, and had to endure 
much unpleasant comment and criticism on account of her 
bold determination to give women all the mathematics they 
could master. Her Commencement exercises were most inter- 
esting occasions, and agitated the intellectual circles there- 
abouts not a little. 

Mrs. Willard was the first woman to take a high stand for 
the intellectual improvement of young women. She opened 
the way and let in the light. Her courage and liberal-mind- 
edness have justly rendered her famous. 

The Quakers, in 171 1, gave the girls equal privileges with 
the boys in educational matters in the schools chartered by 
William Penn in Pennsylvania. This was in the matter of 
common-school work only. 

Dr. and Mrs. Willard decided to establish their school in 
Waterford, New York, and they advised with Governor De Witt 
Clinton as to their plans. The governor favored the enter- 
prise, and a charter was given them by the State Legislature. 
Three years later, the citizens of Troy offered buildings and 
grounds, with the proviso that the Willards move their institu- 
tion to that city. The offer was accepted, and the school 
began its work there with fine prospects. 

At this time Mrs. Willard put into use her books, " Willard's 
History and Chronographer " and "Willard's and Wood- 
bridge's Geography." 

In 1825 the school suffered a great loss in the death of Dr. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 209 

Willard, but Mrs. Willard went bravely on with her work. 
John Willard, Jr., and his gifted wife had been with her for 
several years, and they supported her ably at this time. 

In 1830 Emma Willard visited Europe to investigate school 
methods, and to perfect some work she had in hand. She 
became interested in the women of Greece, who had but little 
opportunity for improvement. Upon her return to America, 
she started a movement to educate the women of Athens on 
their own grounds, and fit them to be instructors. Surely 
the " wheel had gone round " when new America could ofifer 
learning to cultured Greece ; and through the women of both 
countries. By selling her " Notes of Travel," she was en- 
abled to dedicate a large sum for this ambitious and laudable 
work. 

Mrs. Willard had marvellous methods and great success in 
Normal work. She trained her own teachers, and was exceed- 
ingly considerate to those who were without means of obtain- 
ing an education. 

In 1847 Mrs. Willard transferred her mantle to the shoul- 
ders of John Willard and his wife, who were so fully capable 
of carrying out her ideas. Her strong, analytical mind, ever 
busy, turned to the study and research for which it had been 
longing. She delved into scientific matters, and soon at- 
tracted attention by her profound and scholarly conclusions. 
Her treatise on the " Circulation of the Blood" brought her 
well-earned fame. When sixty-two years of age she published 
a work on " Respiration and its EiTects;" when sixty-five, a 
treatise on Astronomy. 

An English gentleman found fault with Mrs. Willard for 
educating women so thoroughly, saying, " They would be 
spoiled for wives; no one would want them." She replied, 
" The finer their education, the sooner they marry, and I have 
great difificulty in keeping my teaching ranks full." 

Mrs. Willard and Napoleon were contemporaries ; and she and 
La Fayette were friends. He greatly admired her ability, and 
thought her account of the American Revolution in her " Uni- 

14 



2IO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

versal History" remarkably good. La Fayette visited her 
school in Troy. When she went to France in 1830 he showed 
her every attention possible in the gay French capital. 

In 1854 Mrs. Willard attended the " World's Educational 
Convention" held in London. She always evinced a lively 
interest in the advance and uplifting of the school system. 

As practical as was Mrs. Willard, she possessed a rich and 
tender vein of sentiment. Her beautiful and eloquent poem, 
" Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep," will live forever. So 
full is it of sublime trust, undaunted courage, and belief in 
immortality, that it inspires and elevates with its true gran- 
deur and lofty tone. 

Mrs. Willard was very distinguished in appearance; and 
rejoiced in the most perfect physical condition. She spent a 
part of each day out of doors, no matter what the state of the 
weather. She believed in fresh air and plenty of vigorous 
exercise. A gentleman who visited her one day, near the 
close of her life, congratulated her upon her fine state of 
health. " Yes, thank you, judge," she said, " I have perfect 
health, but it is ^/<j/ health." She was wonderfully quick and 
bright in repartee, and possessed unusual conversational pow- 
ers. She was most careful of her personal appearance ; 
always dressing handsomely, she was a picture in her shining 
black silk or satin, and precious laces. She lived to be eighty 
years of age. 

Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, in her address before the 
" Emma Willard Association " in Troy, in 1895, sixty years 
from the day she was graduated, and in the same room where she 
received her degree, discoursed most charmingly of Mrs. Wil- 
lard and her mental grasp and great ability. She spoke of the 
majestic mien of her loved instructor, and of her trials in bat- 
tling against public opinion and settled belief. She dwelt on 
her great perseverance, and her stern and relentless pursuit of 
knowledge on her own behalf, as she studied by night and 
taught by day. She honored her memory in every possible 
way, and eulogized her gifts and attainments in stirring words 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 211 

of eloquent praise, and appealed to her hearers to emulate her 
virtues, and imitate her example in filling, to the last, each 
hour with worthy, ambitious work and purpose. 

Mrs. Russell Sage paid a beautiful tribute to her memory in 
an address recently delivered. She dwells upon her girlhood, 
and the advantages of her Christian-home training and intel- 
lectual growth. She says: " Those were the days of the stage- 
coach and toll-gates, of whale-oil lamps and long evenings by 
the open fire. It was before the advent of Bryant, Longfel- 
low, Whittier, Lowell, Holmes, Emerson, Halleck, and Poe; 
before Webster's Dictionary and SpeUing-book." Proudly she 
tells of Mrs. Willard's judgment and foresight. She remem- 
bers hearing her say, in 1840, that the time was not far distant 
when railroads would cross the continent, passenger^ would 
eat and sleep in the cars, and trains would be seen with the 
engines fired up, placarded, " For San Francisco; through in 
four days. 

Many women of note, who have been of use to the world, 
were pupils of the famous Troy school. Elizabeth Cady Stan- 
ton, who is the most noted American woman of to-day; Louise 
Chandler Moulton, Mrs. Russell Sage, Mrs. Charles Gardner, 
Mrs. Newberry Adams, Mrs. Spelman, Mrs. Jane Bancroft- 
Robinson, Mrs. Lincoln Phelps, Miss Dillaye (founder of the 
Ogontz School), the dowager Duchess of Marlborough (Lily 
Price), Mrs. Ira Joy Stoddard (first principal of the Ladies' 
Department of the Iowa Central University), the Misses Irving 
(nieces of Washington Irving), Mrs. Pierpont Marks, Miss 
Mary Hastings, and many women who are distinguished in 
literary and educational circles. Nearly all, if not all, of these 
ladies are charter members of the " Emma Willard Associa- 
tion." 

This interesting society was organized April 25, 1891, in 
New York City. It sent representatives to the World's Fair 
in Chicago, in 1893; and through its influence there has been 
a great awakening interest in the Troy Seminary. The " Mid- 
dlebury Scholarship" has been established by the Emma 



212 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Willard Association, in memory of the place in which Mrs. 
Willard first presided over a school, when she was Emma 
Hart. Two thousand dollars were raised for this purpose. 
A statue has been reared in Troy of the loved instructor, to 
which the Emma Willard Association contributed over four- 
teen hundred dollars. 

"Russell Sage Hall" was given by the great New York 
financier, in honor of his wife, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, 
the first and only president the Emma Willard Association 
has known. Mrs. Sage is a strong intellectual woman, able and 
thorough in all she undertakes ; and is of untold value to the 
Association which she leads. She was an instructor in the 
Ogontz School for eighteen years. She says her entire career 
was moulded by Mrs. Willard, that she owes her a debt she can 
never repay. She is largely responsible for the revival of in- 
terest in the Troy School. With her ample means and gener- 
ous heart, she has helped it substantially. Her work has been 
ably seconded by Mrs. William C. Spelman, Mrs. H. L. 
Pierson, Mrs. Marvin Lord, Mrs. Titus Eddy, Mrs. Leon Har- 
vier, Mrs. Charles Simmons, Mrs. Ertell, Mrs. J. S. T. Stran- 
ahan, Miss Mary A. Hastings, and Mrs. Haines. 

Biographies have been compiled of the graduates of the 
school, which are full of interest ; for there are many useful and 
well-known women among those who have been educated at 
Troy Seminary. Mrs. Charles H. Gardner, of New York City, 
is one of Mrs. Willard's pupils who has earned an enviable rep- 
utation as an instructress and author of text-books. Mrs. 
Gardner's home was in Troy. She attended the Seminary 
both as day and resident pupil. She began her work of teach- 
ing in Mrs. Willard's school; and was with Madame Chegarez 
six years, as teacher of history, mathematics, and music ; after- 
ward, for a year and a half, in Dr. Gardner's School, in Bloom- 
field, New Jersey. After her marriage with Dr. Gardner, she 
removed with him to New York City, and established their 
delightful school at No. 607 Fifth Avenue; they now have 
under their care over eighty young ladies. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 213 

Mrs. Mary A. Hastings taught mathematics in the Troy 
school many years ; and is now lecturing on art. 

Mrs. Stranahan also taught in the Willard School, before her 
marriage with the eminent Brooklyn politician ; and has since 
attained some eminence as a writer. 

Mrs. Jane Bancroft-Robinson, a graduate of 1871, is the 
Dean of the " Woman's College of the Northwestern Univer- 
sity," at Evanston, Illinois. 

Mrs. Lydia M. Van de Warker is the oldest living graduate 
of the Troy Female Seminary. She was born in 1802."^ 

The Association numbers over three hundred members, all 
united in the one purpose of sustaining the School which their 
leader founded and fostered in the first quarter of this cen- 
tury. ^ 

The Seminary was, until recently, presided over by Miss 
Emily T. Wilcox, a grandniece of Mrs. Willard. She fol- 
lowed Mrs. John Willard in the care of the School, and ably 
conducted the work to which she succeeded. 

Long live the Troy School ! And long life to the spirited 
women who are determined it shall be a factor in the educa- 
tional world, and forever shed the gracious influence which has 
stimulated and inspired their own lives ! The " Emma Willard 
Women" are a power in the land; cultured, ambitious, re- 
fined, and womanly, they are an honor to themselves and to 
the School of learning in which they were equipped and 
trained. The wisdom of their famed preceptress has filtered 
into their lives, has cleared their vision, and made light their 
intellectual pathway. In them the great Emma Willard lives ; 
and through them will be disseminated the pure and lofty prin- 
ciples of her life. 

Such women as Mrs. Willard can never wholly pass away. 
The good they do remains. They live in those whom they 
have nurtured; their methods become a part of the world's 
possessions; and their memory is the most precious treasure 
which falls to our inheritance. 

* Deceased, 1897. 



214 ^ BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

CHAPTER XVIII 

CENTRAL university's ROLL OF HONOR 

Aikins, H. D Thirty-third Iowa Infantry. 

Amos, C. J Captain, Fortieth Iowa. 

Baker, J. C Thirty-third Iowa. 

Barker, E. G Cav., First Iowa; also Captain, 113th U. S. C. I. 

Barker, F. C Sergeant, Twenty-ninth U. S. 

Barker, Wm. H Third Iowa. 

Bartlett, Phenix Thirty-third Wisconsin. 

Berry, James P Thirtieth Iowa. 

Betts, Wilson First Kansas. 

Black, George W Fourth Iowa. 

Bousquet, Henry L. .. .Thirty- third Iowa; also Lieut. & A. Q. M. (Ark.) 

Bousquet, Herman Third Iowa; also Mem. of Signal Corps. 

Bousquet, John J Third Iowa; also Lieutenant, U. S. C. I. 

Bullar, A. T Third Iowa. 

Burkholder, Daniel Eighth Iowa. 

Campbell, M. K Fifth Iowa 

Canine, Cornelius. Thirty-third Iowa. 

Carter, William '. . . Fourth Iowa. 

Chapin, Judson S Quart. Mast. Serg. Fourteenth Iowa. 

Cheatham, Joseph Thirtieth Iowa. 

Cheatham, Thomas Forty-fifth Iowa. 

Clark, James A. Thirty-ninth Iowa. 

Clark, James D Ninth Iowa. 

Clutter, W. S Fourth Iowa Cavalry. 

Cory, M. D Fifth Iowa. 

Cowman, T. J. Third Iowa. 

Cox, Thomas W Thirty-third, Musician. 

Craven, A. F. Eighth Iowa. 

Currier, Amos N Eighth Iowa, and Lieut. Eleventh Mo. Cav. 

Curtis, H. G. Eighth Iowa, and Adj. M. M. Brigade. 

DeCou, John Eighteenth Iowa. 

Deweese, J. W. Twenty-third Iowa. 

Downing, W. H. H. Thirty-third Iowa. 

Dunnington, Orville Thirty-third Iowa. 

Earp, N. J Fourth Iowa Cavalry. 



AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 215 

Earp, Virgil Eighty-third IlHnois. 

Gibbons, Daniel Forty-ninth Indiana. 

Graefe, E. F., Jr. Forty-eighth Iowa. 

Guthrie, Wallace Thirteenth Iowa. 

Hampson, J. A. P Major, Tenth U. S. 

Harcourt, C. W Fortieth Iowa. 

Hart, Ezra Twenty-second Iowa. 

Harvey, James H Eighteenth Iowa, and Lieut. 113th U. S. C. I. 

Haven, R. P First Colorado. 

Hill, John Miss. Mar. Brigade. 

Hobbs, Albert Captain, Third Iowa. 

Howell, Sylvester S. Lieutenant, Third Iowa. 

Jewett, R. H. Seventh Missouri. 

Johnson, I. N. Third Iowa. 

Johnson, S. W Miss. Mar. Brigade. 

Jones, R. D. Miss. Mar. Brigade. 

Keables, Alonzo F. Sergeant-Major, Tlurd Iowa. 

Kellenberger, J. H. Third Iowa, and Lieut. Ninth Iowa Cav. 

Law, E. H. Third Iowa. 

Lawhead, William Eighth Iowa. 

Lindsey, E. H. • Third Iowa. 

Mann, George Forty-seventh Iowa. 

Maple, Wm. H Sergeant, Thirty-fourth Iowa. 

Masteller, T. C. 140th 111., and Capt. Stew. Gunboat Ex. 

Mathews, Olfrey • - Fortieth Iowa. 

Mathews, Peter Fortieth Iowa. 

Moore, N. O Thirty-third Iowa. 

Morgan, John Thirty-third Iowa, Second Lieutenant. 

McCullough, Charles Eighth Iowa, and Lieut. 71st U. S. C. I. 

McCullough, William Thirty-third Iowa, and Lieut. 113th U. S. C. I. 

McCleod, John Thirty-third Iowa. 

McCleod, Josiah Third Iowa. 

McMichael, W Miss. Mar. Brigade. 

McMillan, John Eighth Iowa. 

McReynolds, Ewing Fifth Iowa Cavalry. 

Norris, C. N • • •' • Fifth Iowa. 

Olney, CM. Eighth lov/a. 

Olney, Warren Third Iowa, and Captain, 65th U. S. C. I. 

Owen, John W Eighth Iowa. 

Parrish, Orson • Third Iowa. 

Parrish, Wm. O Third Iowa. 

Paul, James M Third Iowa. 

Payton, Tillman Fifth Iowa. 



2i6 A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

Perkins, E. H Thirty-third Iowa. 

Peters, Julius M. A Thirty-third Iowa. 

Peterson, George First Nebraska. 

Presley, Robert 136th New York. 

Rankin, Wm. A. Captain, Thirty-third Iowa. 

Reese, Samuel P Fortieth Iowa. 

Rhoades, J. F. Third Iowa. 

Ritner, Isaac Sergeant, Thirty-third Iowa. 

Ritner, James A Third Iowa. 

Ritner, Judson Twenty-fifth Iowa. 

Robertson, S. W. Fourth Kansas. 

Roth, William Sixteenth Iowa. 

Ruckman, John Captain, Third Iowa. 

Ruckman, Joseph Second Lieutenant, Third Iowa. 

Ryan, David Capt. Eighth Iowa, and Col. Second E. M. D. W. T. 

Ryan, Robert Sergeant, Eighth Iowa. 

Seary, Thomas J Seventh Iowa. 

Sharman, C. H. Lieutenant, Thirty-third Iowa. 

Snyder, John Thirtieth Iowa. 

Sperry, A. F. Major, Thirty-third Iowa. 

Sperry, E. F Third Iowa. 

Stone, B. P Ninth Iowa. 

Stone, William G First Iowa, and Lieut. Twenty-first Iowa. 

Stuart, Wm. A Third Iowa, and Capt. Sixtieth U. S. C. I. 

Sumner, Wm. H Lieutenant, Third Iowa. 

Talbot, Hiram M Forty-eighth Iowa. 

Taylor, Edgar 126th New York. 

Thomas, J. W Forty-seventh Iowa. 

Towne, George W Thirty-third Iowa. 

Vanderly, John Eighth Iowa, and Miss. Mar. Brigade. 

Vandervolk, Weiger Eighth Iowa. 

Vinyard, Lemuel C Fourth Iowa Cavalry. 

Vinyard, T. J Thirty-third Iowa. 

Van Ausdel, Wm Fortieth Iowa. 

Ware, James L. . v. ri>i)fcii$^^^"^^B^^^"*y"^^*'^ Illinois. 



Whitney, "r^vmfry^. S LLUt^LiLUlliUllg '1 ol L^-lilLll U. S. C. I. 

Whitney, Henry S en i j iALieutenant, Forty-fifth U. S. C. I. 

Wilson, D. C Thirty-third Iowa. 

Wilson, W. D • Second Sergeant, Forty-fifth Iowa. 

Wolfe, William. Eighth Iowa. 

Wood, Jesse Third Iowa. 

Woods, E. M Thirty-third Iowa. 

Woods, Paschal ' Tenth Illinois. 




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AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 217 

Whetstone, Isaac M Thirty-ninth Iowa. 

Whetstone, Joseph E Thirty-ninth Iowa. 



Recapitulation 

Commissioned officers. 26 

Non-commissioned officers 17 

Killed. 10 

Died. 14 

Total number enlisted 124 




^J:<F^^/kyia^' 



.LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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